it's been 11 months since the House committee began
investigating the january 6th attack on the U.
S. Capitol by a pro trump mob last year.
More than 1000 interviews later.
It says it's ready to share with americans what it knows it will do.
So in a public hearing some in prime time throughout this month.
The first is scheduled to take place
tonight, eight p.m. Eastern joining me now to discuss is Mike Suzanne,
senior fellow at the center for american progress.
Mike, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for being on.
Today is the first of a string of hearings scheduled in the coming weeks.
Our political reporter Megan pratt said we expect it to be very emotional,
but what are these hearings meant to achieve?
So first of all,
thanks for having me on um the hearings are
meant to achieve really a chance for the committee,
the bipartisan committee to lay out the facts of its long investigation,
its review of thousands of documents and
1000 witnesses they've talked to and this is really an in depth investigation that
is one of the most important bipartisan
investigations that congress has ever undertaken.
And I think what we're going to see tonight is the committee first laying out a
roadmap of what to expect over the coming
hearings and for them to explain why the evidence
is going to show that there was a real deep conspiracy that was planned by Donald
trump and his allies to overturn the will
of voters and to keep their political power.
Um and I think then that it sounds like the hearing
tonight will focus largely on the events of January six.
They've got some key witnesses who are there,
who are key parts of the insurrection on that day.
But again, I think,
and I would expect the committee to be at
least presenting its roadmap for the larger discussion of
the bigger conspiracy and perhaps also about how we
can make sure this never happens in our democracy.
Again.
Congresswoman Elaine luria is one of the lawmakers on the panel.
Here's what she had to say. And Michael talked to you after the sound bite.
When I look at the events of that day, it's terrifying and it's truly terrifying,
because you know the things that contributed to January 6,.
they're not over, they didn't go away.
And I think you and I could easily agree
that nothing has changed since the January six insurrection.
It's the most violent attack on our capital in decades.
How is that even possible that nothing has changed in over a year?
Well, I mean, it's actually gotten worse over the past year and a half,
because at least 17 states have passed laws that
are based on suppressing votes or sabotaging elections and
we now have a number of Trump allies running
for important offices in states across the country.
These some of these candidates actually participated on january 6th there.
They talked with trump repeatedly and they are election deniers.
So, um Congress is trying to work on various reforms to federal law.
But you're right that nothing has changed since january 6th.
What we're seeing still
is this conspiracy that was concocted well before the last election is still in
operation and that's why it's so important to shine a bright light on it,
to connect all the dots between the facts and to hold people accountable.
Ultimately,
what americans want almost uniformly is for anybody who
participated in the insurrection to be held accountable and send
a loud message That this sort of insurrection activity
overthrowing elections is absolutely not allowed in our democracy.
On his truth.
Social media at former President Trump said this January six
represented the greatest movement in the history of our country.
We know he has a huge following.
What are some of the fallout from the riots that we still don't know about?
Are the American people don't know about that just
went unnoticed and have less than a minute.
But I really wanted to ask you this question.
Sure,
I think americans are really going to learn through the course of these hearings how
deep this plot was to overthrow the
election started months before with Donald trump's disinformation
campaign bullying of election officials leading up
to Election Day and after Election Day and
then the state laws and state actions that I'm talking about a minute ago,
where these there's still a in essence a
slow moving insurrection in front of our eyes,
that's what most people don't yet realize.
And I think the fact that the hearing,
the evidence that's going to be presented in pretty vivid form
are going to really make that come alive for people.
And and americans.
I know we tend to be in two different camps these days,
but the majority of americans are are signaling that they're very open and eager
to hear where the evidence is going to is going to take this case.
They're going to follow it very closely and they want accountability.
Well, we will be watching.
We hope you come back to discuss Mike Suzanne,
senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
We really appreciate your insight.