LIVE: Follow along with the Jan. 6 committee for its eighth public hearing, #2

[Brexiter]

Tonight the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol will convene its eighth public hearing where investigators will pore over a gutwrenching 187-minutes of former President Donald Trump’s dereliction during the Capitol attack.

Tonight’s hearing will start at 8 p.m. ET and it is expected to be the final public hearing. However, committee chairman Bennie Thompson has emphasized repeatedly in recent days that should another hearing be warranted, investigators are open to conducting it. For now, the plan for panel members is to continue interviews and collecting evidence as they barrel toward publishing an interim report in September. A final report will follow though details on that deadline are not yet clear. Thompson has indicated that he is eager to wrap things up before November midterms.

Witnesses expected Thursday night include two former White House officials who submitted their resignation on the day of the attack: Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews. Pottinger is a former U.S. Marine and journalist who later served on Trump’s National Security Council. Matthews served as the White House deputy press secretary.

More on tonight’s witnesses is available in the related story links below. The committee is expected to air additional testimony from former White House lawyer Pat Cipollone and it is anticipated that more will be exposed regarding Trump’s surreal video message that he issued hours after the Capitol was stormed. Outtakes from the video—which reportedly required at least three takes before it was deemed publicly acceptable—are expected to be shown. Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Elaine Luria will lead the hearing tonight and Thompson, who was stricken with COVID-19 will appear remotely.

Catch a live stream here on our blog. Additional updates tonight will also be posted here.

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RELATED STORY: 187 minutes of silence and betrayal to be unpacked for Jan. 6 hearing

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Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:02:52 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Truly disturbing details revealed as we get into the second hour of tonight’s hearing.

"If we lose any more time, we may lose the ability to leave so if we're going to leave we need to do it now," one USSS agent says as we see vid of rioters inside. There's smoke. Agents say they don't know what type of smoke it is. Trump's NSC staff was tracking this in real time pic.twitter.com/rIqZPNWjle

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:14:47 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Pottinger testified that Trump’s tweet was akin to fuel being poured on a fire. He didn’t want to be a part of it any more, a notable point considering that he gushed earlier tonight about his pride working in the Trump administration before Jan. 6.

Matthews was unequivocal too Thursday night, telling investigators that Trump was giving the greenlight to the rioters to attack them with that tweet.

"I was disturbed and worried to see the President was attacking VP Pence for doing his constitutional duty. The tweet looked to me like the opposite of what we really needed at that moment which was a de-escalation," Pottinger said. "It looked like fuel being poured on the fire."

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Matthews testifies that the Pence tweet sent at 2:24 p.m. was the last thing they needed at that moment. "It was [Trump] essentially giving the green light to these people telling them what they were doing at the steps of Capitol was OK and they were justified in their anger."

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:18:16 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Trump White House Security officials offered testimony tonight that was riveting and tragic.

The situation had deteriorated so quickly. There was no response from Trump.

“They were running out of options,” the security official said, recalling the vice president and lawmakers and staff who were under attack.

They were asking for calls to be made where they could say goodbye to their family members. These memories, the official said, still haunt them today.

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Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:23:13 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

There was also a pointed note from Rep. Luria aimed at Sen. Josh Hawley. She showed the now famous picture of him giving a fist pump to the crowd of Trump’s supporters, extremists and soon-to-be rioters. Something he did while he was safely protected behind police barriers.

But when it got down to it and the rioters had started to storm the building, the committee aired security footage tonight of Hawley fleeing inside, running at an awkward gait to get away from Trump’s mob.

Luria notes Sen. Josh Hawley, who behind police lines before the riot, offered his fist pump of support as you see here. But what did he do when the mob came? Luria plays a clip of @HawleyMO running inside the Cap from the mob he supported so enthusiastically just hours before. pic.twitter.com/mWX9NXnEmV

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:33:55 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Luria notes Sen. Josh Hawley, who behind police lines before the riot, offered his fist pump of support as you see here. But what did he do when the mob came? Luria plays a clip of @HawleyMO running inside the Cap from the mob he supported so enthusiastically just hours before. pic.twitter.com/mWX9NXnEmV

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

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Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:47:31 AM +00:00 · April Siese

Matthews testifies he told McEnany the tweet wasn't enough. McEnany did not want to include any sort of mention of peace in that tweet and it took some convincing.

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

We hear audio, including audio of Oath Keepers, who talk about how Trump didn't order the mob to stand down. Trump thought a stmt ordering the mob to stand down would give the media a win, Sarah Matthews says.

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Kevin McCarthy's time in the spotlight: We hear from multiple witnesses, including Kushner, who said McCarthy was scared and begging for help, calling him and others, because Trump had refused to call off the attack.

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Kevin McCarthy's time in the spotlight: We hear from multiple witnesses, including Kushner, who said McCarthy was scared and begging for help, calling him and others, because Trump had refused to call off the attack.

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

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Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:59:14 AM +00:00 · April Siese

The Jan. 6 committee showed unedited footage of Trump’s “go home” speech in which the former president refused to stick to a script. Allies of the then-president said the White House was “emotionally drained” and thought the riot at the Capitol was ultimately over.

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Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 1:59:45 AM +00:00 · April Siese

In contrast to Trump’s actions, lawmakers like Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell were looking at ways to secure the Capitol amidst the ongoing insurrection.

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Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:05:41 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Matthews said as a part of the WH comms shop, she knew it'd be on her to defend what Trump was saying in the Rose Garden video. "We love you, you're very special" She couldn't do it. She couldn't defend it. That's when she decided to resign. (@GOPLeader This is called principle)

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:09:10 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Trump’s personal assistant Nick Luna would testify to the committee that Trump’s tweet sent at 6:01 p.m. where he said “these are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly and unfairly treated for so long.

While working to get back in session, what did Trump do? At 6:01 PM after DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a curfew, Trump sent out his last tweet for the day. Defending the mob as "great patriots who have been badly and unfairly treated" and told them remember the day forever pic.twitter.com/0RUlk9z165

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:20:35 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

We finally see Trump speaking for himself. Attempting to condemn what he saw as he prepared a speech for Jan. 7. The speech was only made because he was worried the 25th Amendment would be invoked to remove him.

HUGE: We now see the outtakes of Trump's Jan. 7 speech. He is visibly frustrated as he reads a script prepared for him where he says he must condemn the "heinous attack" "I can't say that," Trump says.

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:29:19 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

NEW: In Tim Murtagh texts, Murtagh notes how "shitty" it was that Trump wouldn't even acknowledge the death of a USCP officer. Murtagh said Trump would NOT acknowledge it because it would mean he would be faulted for the mob. pic.twitter.com/QrABsOYjkI

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:34:54 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Kinzinger emphasizes that the danger is still very much alive today. The threat to democracy sparked by Trump on Jan. 6 hasn't gone away. He is still promoting conspiracy theory, claims of election fraud. Kinzinger says if we don't rectify this, democracy will not endure

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:38:25 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

In his closing remarks tonight, chairman Thompson says the investigation is still going forward. The work continues. They receive new information every day and are pursuing additional witnesses. They will reconvene in September to convey their findings.

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022

Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:41:35 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Powerful closing remarks from Rep. Elaine Luria tonight.

Trump cannot be allowed to be the “finisher” of democracy.

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Friday, Jul 22, 2022 · 2:43:50 AM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman

Cheney says tonight that Trump is preying on those Americans who would take to violence to support him. They are being exploited.

Cheney: "Trump knows millions of Americans who supported him would stand up, defend our nation were it threatened And he is preying on their patriotism, on their sense of justice. On Jan. 6, Trump turned their love of country into a weapon against our Cap & Constitution"

— Brandi Buchman (@Brandi_Buchman) July 22, 2022