Trump Refused to Call Police or Stop Riot For Two and a Half Hours as He Binged Fox News, His Officials Tell Jan. 6 Committee

The January 6th Select Committee hearing on Thursday evening confirmed with testimony from witnesses that former President Donald Trump knew within 15 minutes of leaving his rally that rioters were attacking the Capitol, but chose to watch Fox News instead of speaking out or calling in police.

On Thursday evening, the January 6th Select Committee held a hearing intended to expose the 187 minutes Trump spent at the White House following his rally, during the Capitol riot of January 6th. This is the eighth hearing of Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and the resultant attacks of January 6th.

Former Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger and former press aide Sarah Matthews are also testifying during this select committee hearing.

After video testimony from retired DC Metro Police Sergeant Mark Robinson confirmed that a motorcade had been organized for a pathway to the Capitol, Rep. Elaine Luria (D-AL) said that after 45 minutes of waiting they were released.

This order of events allowed the select committee to infer that Trump was aware of the actions taking place at the Capitol, just 15 minutes following his speech at his rally.

Luria outlined the chronological events of Trump’s day on January 6th:

After the Secret Service refused to take President Trump to the Capitol, he returned to the White House. What you see on the screen is a photo of him inside the oval office, immediately after he returned from the rally, wearing this overcoat. A White House employee informed the president, as soon as he returned to the oval, about the riot at the Capitol. Let me repeat that. Within 15 minutes of leaving the stage, President Trump knew that the capital was besieged and under attack.

The congresswoman continued that “At 1:25 pm, President Trump went to the private dining room, off the Oval Office,” and from that time until 4 p.m. “the president stayed in his dining room.”

“Witnesses told us that, on January 6th, President Trump sat in his usual spot, at the head of the table, facing a television hanging on the wall,” said Luria.

According to the White House employee, Trump was watching Fox News for that entire length of time.

Luria stated that “Other witnesses confirmed President Trump was in the dining room with the TV on, for more than two and a half hours.”

The hearing continued with Luria noting:

As to what the president was doing that afternoon, the presidential daily diary is also silent. It contains no information from the period between 1:21 pm and 4:03 pm. There are also no photos of President Trump during this critical period between 1:21 pm in the oval office and when he went outside to the Rose Garden after 4:00. The Chief White House Photographer wanted to take pictures because it was, in her words, very important for his archives, and for history. She was told, quote, no photographs. Despite the lack of photos, or an official record, we have learned what President Trump was doing while he was watching TV in the dining room.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said that while Trump watched Fox News, his officials repeatedly came into the room to plead that he do something to put an end to the violence.

White House lawyer Pat Cipollone said in testimony to the committee that he told Trump to make a “forceful” statement against the rioters.

“Many people suggested it,” Cipollone added.

The committee said that no calls were made by Trump to his Defense Secretary, the Attorney General or Homeland Security Secretary.

He also did not ask for the National Guard or any law enforcement to stop the violence, they said.

Watch above via CNN