Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) has responded to President-elect Donald Trump’s threat that he should throw members who sat on the House committee that investigated the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in jail.
“Donald Trump and his minions can make all the assertions they want – but no election, no conspiracy theory, no pardon, and no threat of vengeful prosecution can rewrite history or wipe away his responsibility for the deadly violence on that horrific day. We stood up to him before and we will continue to do so,” stated Thompson, who co-chaired the committee for the entirety of its existence from July 1, 2021, to early January 2023.
By the end of its work, the nine-member committee concluded there was enough evidence to convict Trump – whose supporters were behind the attempted self-coup d’état after the Republican lost the 2020 presidential election – for various charges such as obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to knowingly make a false statement, and assisting, aiding, or comforting an insurrection. Thompson and company subsequently made its recommendations to the Department of Justice.
Thompson continued in his statement, doubling down on the fact he believes Trump played a role in the insurrection. Notably, Trump waited 187 minutes on Jan. 6, 2021, to call off the mob and ask them to return home.
“Donald Trump has shamefully undermined the rule of law, degraded our democracy, and eroded our Constitution for years, and his latest lies about the work of the January 6th Select Committee are just the latest installment,” Thompson said. “But let me be clear: Those of us who investigated his central role in the January 6th insurrection are simply not afraid of his most recent threats.
“Our committee was fully authorized by the House, all rules were properly followed, and our work product stands on its own. In fact, in the two years since we have completed our work, no court or legal body has refuted it.”
Thompson’s comments come after Trump joined NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Walker for his first sit-down interview since winning November’s election over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. In the interview, Trump said “Honestly, they should go to jail,” referring to the panel’s members.
Trump announces he wants to throw “everyone on the [January 6] committee” in jail. pic.twitter.com/33hEYGByu1
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) December 8, 2024
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who co-chaired the Jan. 6 committee alongside Thompson, also countered Trump’s comments, calling them an “assault on the rule of law” in a statement.
“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power,” Cheney said. “He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building, and halted the official counting of electoral votes. Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave.
“This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history. Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”
As Trump prepares to re-enter the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, it’s unclear if he will make truth of his remarks and use the DOJ to punish political rivals. He did note in the same interview that he will “most likely” pardon some supporters involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol as those incarcerated are “living in hell.”
