Liz Cheney says Trump won't get a circus at testimony

Washington, October 24 (RHC)-- Former U.S. president Donald Trump will not be allowed to turn any testimony he gives to the January 6th committee into a "circus," says the vice chairwoman of the panel, Liz Cheney.

Cheney, one of two Republicans on the House select committee, which is investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, said the panel is treating the matter of Trump's testimony with "great seriousness.”  “We will — are not going to let the former president — he's not going to turn this into a circus," she said.

The congresswoman said the members will go through all the steps necessary to give it the level of discipline that it deserves.  “We are going to proceed in terms of the questioning of the former president under oath,” Cheney said.  “It may take multiple days, and it will be done with a level of rigor and discipline and seriousness that it deserves,” she added.

The US House of Representatives committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol has decided to subpoena former president Donald Trump.  The Jan. 6 committee voted unanimously to subpoena the former president for documents and testimony at the end of its last hearing earlier this month.

The subpoena demands evidence and documents be presented by November 4th and that Trump sits for deposition in person or through a video link around November 14th.  Trump, who has repeatedly attacked the committee amid its investigation, has called the subpoena a political stunt.  The former president has not directly said whether he will testify.  

If an individual subpoenaed by the committee refuses to appear for testimony, the committee will be able to hold them in contempt of Congress, a matter that the full House will have to take up. A criminal referral could then potentially be made to the Justice Department.

On January 6, 2021, Trump gave a provocative speech to his supporters, refusing to concede his election loss, and the crowd proceeded to march on Capitol Hill, breaching the perimeter, attacking security guards, and sending US Congress members running for their safety.

Cheney on Sunday also said she hopes the GOP will return to supporting democracy but Republicans can no longer pretend the “threat” from Trump will go away.  Cheney told NBC that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), now an opponent of Trump, falsely believes he can ignore the former president and “go forward as a party without him.”

“That’s clearly not the case …. the idea that we could simply ignore Donald Trump and the threat would go away is clearly wrong,” Cheney said.  “My view from the beginning has been that we have to as a party reject insurrection, we have to reject what he stands for. I don’t think this is an issue about which you can make a political calculation.  I think it matters too much.”