The new “bipartisan” House select committee formed to investigate the Jan. 6 capitol protest conducted its first hearing today, featuring testimony from four Police officers- Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone, MPD Officer Daniel Hodges, and Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn.
This “bipartisan” committee consists of 7 Democrats and only two Republicans namely, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, both critics of former President Trump. Many House Republicans including minority leader Kevin McCarthy have protested forming of this select committee
In this first hearing, Washington DC Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone called Capitol protestors “terrorists” and made various claims like “They beat me. I was struck with a taser device at the base of my skull numerous times. And they continued to do so until I yelled out that I have kids.”
Sgt. Aquilino Gonell mentioned in his testimony “What we were subjected to that day was like something from a medieval battle,” “We fought hand to hand … I recall thinking to myself, ‘this is how I’m gonna die.’”
MPD Officer Daniel Hodges followed with claims of “protestors carrying confederate flags and MAGA hats” and being targeted with “racial slurs”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), one of the only two Republicans on this committee cried during his statement and called the incident a “deadly insurrection”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) also briefly cried while delivering his statement
What do you think of the first day of this committee hearing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
