Tag Archives: Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol

“Memory, all alone in the moonlight…”

03 Tuesday Jan 2023

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The Trump Administration was filled with far too many incompetent boobs, starting with Donald Trump (r).

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

Testimony:

SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE
JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL,
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, D.C.

DEPOSITION OF: KASHYAP PRAMOD PATEL

Thursday, December 9, 2021
Washington, D.C

[Page 49]

[….]
Q How about the summer of 2020? asked you some questions about the impact that the summer protests had on preparation. Right now, separate from any email, separate from any document, what do you remember about how what happened in the summer impacted preparations for January 6th?

[Discussion off the record.]

The Witness. So, at that time, in the summer of 2020, I was deputy assistant to the President and senior director for counterterrorism. So that was my focus.

BY [….] Q I understand.

A So what I remember? I remember the media and the Lafayette Square incident. Of course, I remember the media’s portrayal of it, and I remember the video and the walk-across. I don’t recall having conversations with intel or DOD at that time, and —

Q That’s not my question. My question is, in January, the first few days of January of 2021–

A Uh-huh.

Q — you’re the chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense. Was there any discussion that you recall about what happened in the summer impacting preparations, DOD preparations, for what was coming on January 6th?

A So I believe I addressed that, so I’ll refer back to that answer. But, to address your question again, I rely on what I previously stated. But do I recall conversations about the summer in early January?

Q Yes.

A I recall some conversations with leadership at the Department that it came up. The specifics I do not recall.

Q Okay. Again, as you sit here today, no recollection of any of the specifics of how the summer protest events impacted the Defense Department’s preparation?

A I think as I stated earlier, what I do remember is that the senior leadership that was in place at the Department of Defense reminded senior leadership that was then in place of lessons learned. And whatever those lessons learned were documented by us in our recording — in our reportings, excuse me. And so, outside of that, I don’t have any other independent memory of not using anything else.

Q What were the lessons learned?

A You’d have to ask the people that were there —

Q I’m asking you, Mr. Patel.

A Well, I wasn’t there.

Q In your mind, what were the lessons learned from the summer that affected preparations for January 6th?

A The biggest lesson in my mind —

Q Yes.

A — looking back at the arc of this entire thing —

Q Great.

A — is that the Members of Congress did not want an arms display, for lack of a better word, on National Guardsmen and -women ever. That’s my recollection.

Q Okay.

A Now, that’s what the number one — I wouldn’t call it number one — that was a lesson learned that I recall other folks saying, but that’s about it.

Q And how did that relate to the summer of 2020?

A I’m not sure. What do you mean?

Q What do you recall — you said Members of Congress didn’t want an armed display. How does that in some way — again, your recollection — reach back to what happened in the summer of 2020?

A I think it stems from, I believe, Chairman Milley at the time walked across Lafayette Square with a sidearm holstered on his military uniform. I believe that’s what that reference was to. And Chairman Milley would have a better idea of those conversations because it impacted him directly.

Q I’m not asking you to look inside of Chairman Milley or anybody else’s mind. I’m just asking you, in your role as a high-level official in the Department of Defense, how the summer events affected preparation for the riot at the Capitol.

A Look, I believe I’ve answered it. I mean, if you would like, we can again look at things that can help to jog my memory, but I believe I’ve answered your question.

Q You have no independent recollection beyond the stuff, the documents, that we’ve provided you —

Mr. Gabe. Respectfully, you’ve asked him the same question in slightly different ways five or six times. He’s testified to what he remembers, his best recollection. He’s talked about what he doesn’t recall, but — and I understand that you may wish that he recalled more, but he’s answered the question, like, five times.

BY [….] Q I’m just trying to pinpoint whether you have any independent recollection beyond the documents that you’ve been provided to review today.

A Beyond the documents that I’ve been directed to review, beyond whatever was provided, and beyond whatever I’ve already said, outside of that, I don’t have an independent recollection.

Q Okay. I thought that’s what you said. Thank you.

[….]

“…Q What do you recall — you said Members of Congress didn’t want an armed display. How does that in some way — again, your recollection — reach back to what happened in the summer of 2020?

A I think it stems from, I believe, Chairman Milley at the time walked across Lafayette Square with a sidearm holstered on his military uniform. I believe that’s what that reference was to. And Chairman Milley would have a better idea of those conversations because it impacted him directly…”

That’s it? Interestingly there was quite a bit more in all the video coverage. Quite a bit more.

==========
Update: There is plenty of photographic coverage of General Mark Milley dressed in his BDUs accompanying Donald Trump (r) on the infamous walk across Lafayette Square. No belt or “holstered” sidearm on General Milley is visible in a multitude of images.
==========

[page 52]

BY [….] Q Okay. Let’s start on January 6th, on the day of.

A Uh-huh.

Q When did you first learn about the — any type of escalation of violence at the Capitol?

A I’m not sure. I think it’s detailed in the timeline I provided you, so I would say whatever that timeline says is the appropriate answer.

BY [….] Q Well, the timeline’s not just your memory, though, right? Without the timeline, do you remember when you first learned on that day that there was a breach at the Capitol?

A I believe late morning, early afternoon, from the best of my memory, is that on TV — and there’s TVs on at the Department of Defense, and there was a showing by video cameras that people were marching towards the Capitol. So whenever that was, in and around that time is when we saw it.

Q “We” meaning who?

A Whoever was in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where the TVs were on.

Q And do you remember listening to President Trump’s speech that day?

A I don’t. I believe I was working on a number of other things.

Q Did you speak to anybody — after you saw the march up to the Capitol, what happened next, from your memory?

A As best as I can recall, there was a lot of phone call activity that started happening. We tried to divvy up the work as best we could to be responsive to Congress, to public affairs, to the White House.

[….]

[page 59]

[….]
Q Did Tony Ornate ever reach out to you?

A Being the deputy chief of staff to Mark Meadows, he probably did. He —

Q On January 6th?

A Tony and I — Mr. Ornate and I have worked together for a long time, and so it’s possible he also reached out. I’m telling you, I can’t remember every phone call I had. If there’s something you can show me, like a call log, that says I talked to them, maybe I can narrow it down.

Q Did you talk to the President at all during January 6th?

A I don’t believe that the President — President Trump and I spoke on January 6th. That’s my memory.

Q Do you not believe — wouldn’t you remember if the President reached out to you on January 6th?

A Not necessarily. But I’m telling you, I don’t remember him doing so, and I don’t remember calling him on January 6th.

Q When you say “not necessarily,” there’s an attack on the Capitol, and he is the President of the United States.

A Okay.

Q You wouldn’t remember if you talked to him on January 6th?

[Discussion off the record.]

The Witness. Yeah, as I said, I don’t remember having a phone call with the President on January 6th.

BY [….] Q So, Mr. Patel, just so I’m clear, that does not mean you did not have a call with the President on January 6th. States during an attack on the Capitol would be memorable, no?

A To me?

Q To you.

A To me as chief of staff? It might be. I know this might be hard for you to believe, but I talked to the President a number chimes. So, any time that the President called, it was a memorable moment. But I don’t remember every single phone call I fielded, especially on a day when I fielded upwards of 100 phone calls.

Q So you have no recollection if the President called you or did not call you.

A I believe — as I said, I don’t believe we spoke on January 6th.

Q But by saying “I don’t believe” — and you’ve been an attorney, a trial attorney — it’s not precluding that you did have a conversation with President Trump.

A And, as I’ve said, if you show me a call log that says —

Q I don’t have to show you a call log for you to jog your memory if you talked to President Trump or not.

Mr. Gabe. Hold on just a second.
[….]

Apparently any memoir will be really short.

Too many people bear responsibility for all of this.

Go to the transcripts. Pick one, any one. You will and should be horrified.

Previously:

Confederate Dunces (January 2, 2023)

Confederate Dunces

02 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by in Congress

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The Trump Administration was filled with far too many incompetent boobs, starting with Donald Trump (r).

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

One example:

SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE
JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL,
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, D.C.

INTERVIEW OF: GENERAL MARK A. MILLEY [pdf]

Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Washington, D.C.

[….]

[Page 105]

[General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff]: …One example is I received a written document on the 11th, I think it’s — no, it’s the 12th, I think it is, the 12th of November, 3 days after Secretary Esper is relieved, I get called up into Acting SecDef Miller’s office. And it’s Miller, me, and Patel. Patel hands me a piece of paper and I testified this to Congress a couple, 3, 4 weeks ago hands a piece of paper to me signed by then President Trump. And it basically has two sentences in it.

And it says: You are hereby ordered to withdraw all U.S. military forces from Somalia no later than 31 December. The second sentence says: You are directed to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by 15 January. That’s it. And there was another line that said something like inform all allies or something like that. And I looked at Patel and I said: Who gave the President the military advice for this? Did you do this, Kash? And he said: Oh, no, no, I had nothing to do with it.

looked at Acting Secretary Miller and I said: Did you give the President military advice on this? Oh, no, no, not me. I said: Okay, well, we got to go over and see the President then to make sure that he’s fully informed — going back to the constitutional responsibilities — to make sure he’s fully informed. It’s a legal order, but I want to make sure. I’ve got duties to do here, constitutional duties that I’ve got to make sure he’s properly advised. So we go over to the White House. We walk into the National Security Advisor’s office, Robert O’Brien, hand him the order, said: Robert, where’s this coming from and is this true? And O’Brien says: I’ve never seen it before. Said okay. Kellogg is — Keith Kellogg, the National Security Advisor to the Vice President, is there. Kellogg says: Let me see this piece of paper. Kellogg takes the piece of paper, looks at it. He says: Something is really wrong here, this doesn’t look right.

And I looked at Kellogg and I said: You’re telling me that thing is forged? That’s a forged piece of paper directing a military operation by the President of the United States, that’s forged, Keith? And he said: I don’t know, I don’t know. So O’Brien and Kellogg then say: Give us a few minutes.

And they go away. I assume, I don’t know factually, but I assume it was to see the President. They come back 10 or 15 minutes later and they say: It’s rescinded. It’s over. It never existed. I said: Okay, fine. So it doesn’t exist. So I’ve seen reversals, like the little story about Gina, I’ve seen that before in that administration, these immediate reversals when challenged on specific things if they’re not rigorously thought out, et cetera. So that’s an example.

[….]

Forged?

It appears that General Milley took his oath seriously.

Too many people bear responsibility for all of this.

Go to the transcripts. Pick one, any one. You will and should be horrified.

Not in Missouri

22 Friday Jul 2022

Posted by in Josh Hawley, social media, US Senate

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Well, yeah.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

This evening:

Ron Filipkowski @RonFilipkowski
Josh Hawley runs out on stage in Tampa tonight and says he has a message for liberals about J6: “I do not regret it! I am not backing down! I’m not gonna apologize, I’M NOT GONNA COWER, I’M NOT GONNA RUN FROM YOU, I’m not gonna bend the knee!”
[….]
5:13 PM · Jul 22, 2022

Definitely not in Missouri.

Previously:

Josh Hawley (r) is famous! (July 21, 2022)

“Fistpump McRunpants” (July 22, 2022)

Josh Hawley (r) is famous!

21 Thursday Jul 2022

Posted by in Josh Hawley, US Senate

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Tonight:

Dave Helling @dhellingkc
Sic semper bullies and cowards

Dave Tarrant @davetarrantnews
The clip of Hawley sprinting away from the Capitol rioters, showing great speed, is so damning. Earlier he’d famously raised his fist in support of them.

8:19 PM · Jul 21, 2022

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Capitol “Pardon Me” Tour – January 5, 2021

15 Wednesday Jun 2022

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From the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, including video of individuals given a tour of the capitol complex by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (r) who had previously denied giving any tour:

A letter to Barry Loudermilk (r) from the chair of the committee:

[….]
June 15, 2022

Representative Barry Loudermilk
United States House of Representatives
2133 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Loudermilk:

On May 19, 2022, the Select Committee invited you to meet with us about evidence of a tour you provided on January 5, 2021. Based on our review of surveillance video, social media activity, and witness accounts, we understand you led a tour group through parts of the Capitol complex on January 5, 2021. That group stayed for several hours, despite the complex being closed to the public on that day.

Surveillance footage shows a tour of approximately ten individuals led by you to areas in the Rayburn, Longworth, and Cannon House Office Buildings, as well as the entrances to tunnels leading to the U.S. Capitol. The below image shows you leading individuals on the tour:

[….]

Individuals on the tour photographed and recorded areas of the complex not typically of interest to tourists, including hallways, staircases, and security checkpoints. [….] For example, the below image shows an individual appearing to photograph a staircase in the basement of the Longworth House Office Building while you speak with others nearby:

[….]

The below image shows members of the tour you led also taking photographs of the tunnel leading from the Rayburn House Office Building to the Capitol:

[….]

The behavior of these individuals during the January 5, 2021 tour raises concerns about their activity and intent while inside the Capitol complex.

The Select Committee has learned that some individuals you sponsored into the complexattended the rally at the Ellipse on the morning of January 6, 2021. According to video recordings from that day obtained by the Select Committee, the individual who appeared to photograph a staircase in the Longworth House Office Building filmed a companion with a flagpole appearing to have a sharpened end who spoke to the camera saying, “It’s for a certain person,” while making an aggressive jabbing motion. Later, these individuals joined the unpermitted march from the Ellipse to the U.S. Capitol. While standing near the Capitol grounds, the same individual made a video that contained detailed and disturbing threats against specific Members of Congress. For example, as the individual filmed the march to the Capitol, he said, “There’s no escape Pelosi, Schumer, Nadler. We’re coming for you.” As he looked up at the Capitol, he went on:

[“]They got it surrounded. It’s all the way up there on the hill, and it’s all the way around, and they’re coming in, coming in like white on rice for Pelosi, Nadler, even you, AOC. We’re coming to take you out and pull you out by your hairs. … When I get done with you, you’re going to need a shine on top of that bald head.[“] [….]

While we had hoped to show you the video evidence when you met with us, and since you have thus far declined, the Select Committee provides the video in question for your review [….].

The foregoing information raises questions the Select Committee must answer. Public reporting and witness accounts indicate some individuals and groups engaged in efforts to gather information about the layout of the U.S. Capitol, as well as the House and Senate office buildings, in advance of January 6, 2021. For example, in the week following January 6, 2021, Members urged law enforcement leaders to investigate sightings of “outside groups in the complex” on January 5, 2021 that “appeared to be associated with the rally at the White House the following day.” [….] The Select Committee’s review of urveillance footage showing the above-described tour is consistent with those observations. [….]

We again ask you to meet with the Select Committee at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,
s/
Bennie G. Thompson
Chairman

“…coming in like white on rice…” They don’t even attempt to hide it anymore.

There’s always video. They weren’t tourists.

Meta: setting the standard

13 Monday Jun 2022

Posted by in meta, social media

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And some people get lucrative book deals.

Today:

Maggie Haberman @maggieNYT
The committee has been criticized as looking to target Trump politically. They are not at all shying away from the fact that not a single one of them thinks Trump should be back in office, and that’s part of what they’re demonstrating here.
10:54 AM · Jun 13, 2022

Doing some heavy lifting there.

Same difference:

“Faux News channel, fascist groupies” – protest sign, circa 2003- 2004.

Some of the responses:

By WHOM

“The committee has been criticized”?! By whom? Maggie Haberman is spreading the word here, but who else? By Trump and his allies is to be expected. I just didn’t know Maggie was one of them!

Who is doing the criticizing Maggie? “People are saying” doing a heavy lift here. Be better.

Maggie’s cash cow is becoming ground beef.

I’m unsure how we made it thru the 4 years.

We didn’t.

Typo. Fixed it: The committee has been criticized as exposing Trump the way he really is. They are not at all shying away from presenting factual information, which would prevent Trump from getting back in office, and that’s part of what they’re demonstrating here.

“…part of what they’re demonstrating here.”

Care to elaborate what the other parts are, Maggie?

Uh yeah. And they think the world is round also. Not shying away from that either.

He shouldn’t, obviously. What’s your point?

Not too make too huge a leap here, but sitting members of congress should not feel that people who lost elections should be in office just because they want to.

That’s your take away? What a weird conclusion to draw, Maggie

Sorry for your loss

I know that’s bad for Maggie-business.

Mags sounds upset

This is one of those tweets that tries not to piss anybody off but totally backfires.

You’ve done enough damage already.

Amazing that people think that a guy who launched a coup shouldn’t hold public office again. Hard hitting analysis here.

They’re recruiting Americans for Team Normal. Sorry you didn’t make the cut Maggie. #sad

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

What gives you the mistaken impression we give a shit about what you think?

10 Friday Jun 2022

Posted by in meta

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As always, this is too easy.

We don’t allow ignorant comments out of moderation to be linked with the original post, but we do occasionally present some of them in subsequent posts for the purpose of public derision and mockery. As we see fit.

Here we are.

We try not to engage right wingnuts directly. By any definition of their thought processes and ideology, it’s a colossal waste of time. There’s an old music adage: “You can’t teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig.” So, we tend to delete trolling comments and ignore them.

Unless we’re bored or it amuses us.

We are slightly amused.

We previouly posted a short portion of Representative Liz Cheney’s (r) opening remarks at last night’s public hearing of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.

We then got comments:

It’s been reported Trump called down his people to the capital because he wanted his people who believed him to know the truth and to be sure that if there came a time in the future where this may need to be done to protect ourselves from government over stepping our rights and he stands firm on this belief. He wasn’t in the wrong to have his supporters check to see if everything was alright but some abused this privilege and everyone is to each thier own actions. If ever a president feels that his team at the capital is not doing thier jobs or anything needs checked out the people of this country are there to make sure they are. Well I would like to know what you all have to say to that. Shame on you. And taking our freedom of speech is a dead give away. Tech allowing hackers to sabatage and not do anything about it is also slander and sabatage. Get ALL the FACTS before making a judgment because you better be sure before acting and or looking stupid. Don’t make us supporters take it to court and show everyone the truth of everything wrong with this country. We will. Amen.

“…some abused this privilege…” So that’s what it’s called when you smear your shit on the walls of the capitol building.

“…If ever a president feels that his team at the capital is not doing thier jobs or anything needs checked out the people of this country are there to make sure they are…” Their.

So, you’re saying the former guy, his children, and his hacks were incompetent? Okay.

“…Well I would like to know what you all have to say to that…” You’re a dumbass. You asked.

“…Shame on you…” Read the post title.

“…And taking our freedom of speech is a dead give away…” Wait, wingnuts only believe in one true and good amendment, and it ain’t the first.

Sabotage.

“…looking stupid…” You’re doing fine on your own. See above.

“…Don’t make us supporters take it to court and show everyone the truth of everything wrong with this country. We will…” Oooh. Wait, that’s already been done. Your cult leader lost every election court case.

Bless your heart.

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

And another:

I guess I’m a right wing nut. I loved the Abraham accords promoted by Donald Trump. I loved our strong position with China North Korea, Russia, Iran, etc. I loved our energy independence and low gas prices. I loved our prosperity, smaller government, and lower taxes. I also loved the much lower inflation. I loved all this and more about Donald Trump’s policies. I will absolutely vote for him again. If all this makes me a right wing nut, so be it!!

Maroon

You’re a dumbass, too.

“Make America Great Again” – in Russian.

Stupidity may be inherited. Ignorance is a personal choice.

And another:

Everyone should stop this right now and quit wasting our money. And they should be doing something else and help the people. And earn some of the money we pay you. I have never in my life seen crap like this. And it is crap. Your sore loosers and running […] scared now of losing get a life and get over it. You all know you are history when Trump gets back in and you wont be able to get richer off our money. You all need a reality check and it will be soon. Iam praying you all go to jail. Remember one thing the truth always comes out. Jail is to good for you all should be shot.

Oh, by the way, when someone submits a comment here your email address and I.P. address are linked to the comment. You’re obviously too stupid to remember to breathe. And you’re a Fascist pig.

Previously:

Exactly this (June 10, 2022)

Anyone from Missouri on that list? (June 10, 2022)