Former President Donald Trump has been subpoenaed by the House January 6th Committee, now being legally obligated to give testimony and documents regarding the Capitol riots of January 6th, 2021.
Committee members held the vote on Thursday to move it onto the public record, voting unanimously to subpoena Trump, though they are aware that Trump is unlikely to comply, according to NBC News.
Committee Chair Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said the committee had an “obligation” to subpoena Trump.
“This is a question about accountability to the American people. He must be accountable,” Thomson said. “He is required to answer for his actions. He’s required to answer to those police officers who put their lives and bodies on the line to defend our democracy. He’s required to answer to those millions of Americans whose votes he wanted to throw out as part of his scheme to remain in power.”
If Trump decides not to comply, the committee will be left to decide whether or not he should be held in criminal contempt of Congress.
The resolution was introduced by the committee’s vice-chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who called Trump the “central player” of the riot.
A source familiar with the committee’s plans reportedly told NBC News that the committee plans to issue the subpoena in the coming days. The subpoena, however, is on a short timeframe, as it expires at the end of the congressional session, and Trump is likely to challenge it.
When asked after the committee hearing whether or not the committee is prepared to fight over a subpoena in court, Rep. Thompson said, “Let’s see what happens. We hope that [Trump] honors it.”
The subpoena comes after more than a year after the January 6th U.S. Capitol riots in the wake of the 2020 election.
Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich, in a series of tweets, said that, “Trump-endorsed candidates will sweep the Midterms” next month “and America First leadership & solutions will be restored.” Budowich did not say how Trump would respond to the subpoena.
Trump also railed against the committee on his social media platform Truth Social in response to the subpoena, but didn’t say how he would respond.
“Why didn’t the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago? Why did they wait until the very end, the final moments of their last meeting? Because the Committee is a total ‘BUST’ that has only served to further divide our Country,” the post said.
