The January 6 House select committee’s first prime-time hearing wrapped up after two hours of testimony on Thursday after bombshell revelations introduced by Reps Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney.
Former President Donald Trump expressed his rage after the committee played excerpts of interviews with his former Attorney General Bill Barr, daughter Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Mr Trump called Mr Barr “weak” and a “coward” after he told the House panel that Mr Trump’s false claims of a stolen election was “bulls***”.
Ms Trump, one of her father’s most trusted advisors, also said she didn’t think the 2020 election was stolen and respects Barr. Her father countered she had “checked out” before the 2020 election and was being deferential to Barr.
In her opening statement, GOP lawmaker Ms Cheney, noted a number of her party sought pardons from Mr Trump for their part in trying to overturn the election: “Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonour will remain.”
Some 20 million Americans tuned in to watch, ratings show — equivalent to the audience for Sunday Night Football. That figure does not include streaming services.
