CNN’s Lauren Fox caught up with Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chairs the Jan. 6 select committee, before the start of the committee’s first hearing.
Asked about new video that will be shown during the hearing today, Thompson said, “some of the video will show some of the people who are testifying before us today, some of it has not been shown.”
Thompson told CNN that in his opening statement he will give “an acknowledgement that they (police officers) saved this democracy. That what they did was patriotic, heroic, and for that, this committee, and a number of members of Congress are grateful.”
On why he decided to have GOP Rep. Liz Cheney give an opening statement as well, Thompson said it was customary for a Democrat and a Republican to give an opening statement and they wanted to follow custom.
Thompson said “we offered that opportunity to her and she accepted,” describing the decision as “organic.”
Describing what it’s like to work with GOP Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Cheney on this committee, Thompson called it “sobering.”
“It was sobering to see Democrats and Republicans working for the common good. It used to be that way always, but it’s been very divided. And this is one of the few times that I’ve had an opportunity to work on a controversial issue with the opposing party, and they both want the same thing,” he said.
Thompson was asked to respond to a repeated attack from Republicans, led by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, that the select committee needs to look into what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi knew in the lead up to Jan. 6, and whether that was a legitimate line of inquiry.
“Democracy is about participation. And if for whatever reason, you choose not to participate, then you relegated it to sideshows. If the minority leader was genuinely interested in what the Speaker’s office was involved in, join the committee,” the Democrat said.
Asked whether the committee will subpoena Trump, Thompson said “I’ll follow the facts,” but when pressed on whether it was off the table, he said “it is not off the table.”
More on the committee’s actions: Thompson said he was not going to rule out subpoenaing anyone yet, using his common trope that he will go wherever the facts lead, but said specifically that he is interested in looking at who else made phone calls to the White House that day.
Thompson said the next steps for the committee are “assembling data” and predicted that the recess would be busy for the committee, which he said would include a meeting with the Attorney General, something he has talked about doing before.
“I do assume that the recess for this committee will be a lot of work,” he noted.
