“Donald Trump made a purposeful choice to violate his oath of office.” That brutal assessment came from Co-Chair Rep. Liz Cheney. The Republican distilled last night’s Jan 6 Committee investigation into the 187 minutes following former President Donald Trump’s speech — urging a mob to march on the Capitol. Rioters overpowered police and tried to block Congress from certifying the 2020 election — one Trump refused to admit he had lost.
Former New Jerse Gov. Christie Todd Whitman, a moderate Republican, watched the hearings and said, even as Trump teases another presidential run, his supporters should take note. “I hope they recognize that they were used. He just wanted to hold onto power. This was a coup attempt. He betrayed the people who supported him, he betrayed the Constitution, he betrayed his oath of office. Doing nothing is not benign.”
The hearings could push NJ voters to question congressional candidates, especially Republicans like Tom Kean Jr in District 7, who’ve said they support “the Trump agenda.” “It’s going to resonate in New Jersey, and I think once again, Republicans are going to have to answer for the former president’s behavior and whether or not this is something they’re going to Washington to defend,” says Rider’s Micah Rasmussen. The committee has promised more hearings in September.
