Donald Trump has reportedly told aides that he’s not totally against the idea of testifying before the Jan. 6 committee, as long as his testimony can be live, the New York Times reports.
“The former president has been telling aides he favors doing so, so long as he gets to do so live, according to a person familiar with his discussions,” The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reported. “However, it is unclear whether the committee would accept such a demand.”
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot voted 9-0 at the end of Thursday’s hearing to subpoena the former president for testimony about the days leading up to and on the day of the Capitol riot.
Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said the committee had an “obligation” to hear from Trump.
“This is a question about accountability to the American people. He must be accountable. He is required to answer for his actions. He’s required to answer to those police officers who put their lives and bodies on the line to defend our democracy. He’s required to answer to those millions of Americans whose votes he wanted to throw out as part of his scheme to remain in power,” Thompson said.
If Trump testifies, it would be under oath, risking perjury charges if were to lie.
Some members of Trump’s inner circle are not onboard with him appearing before the committee. One adviser told the Daily Beast bluntly, “he should not”.
It is unlikely that Trump will appear before the committee though, which he repeatedly derided as a politically motivated witch hunt. After the subpoena on Thursday, Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social that the committee is “a giant scam, presided over by a group of Radical Left losers, and two failed Republicans.”
