House Select Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said Friday on MSNBC’s “Deadline” that he would welcome former President Donald Trump to testify before the panel investigating the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
Thompson said, “What we have to do is make sure at that time public understands that people did not just leave the eclipse and walk to the Capitol. The Proud Boys and others had already assembled at the Peace Circle, surveilling the Capitol and making sure that once they wanted to breach it, they went to the most vulnerable site. They went to an area that was the least guarded. They made sure that individuals penetrated it in a certain area, and when reinforcements went in, they had reinforcements. So it was a planned effort. You can see from the video. We wanted to prove that this wasn’t something that just happened. It wasn’t a normal congressional tour and wasn’t traditional speech. This was a riot. This was an insurrection that was planned and orchestrated by Donald Trump.”
Anchor Nicolle Wallace said, “I have to ask you this, just based on your responses this afternoon. If Donald Trump asked to come and testify before the committee, would you accommodate that request?”
Thompson said, “Yes.”
Wallace said, “Wow. All right. Well, we will keep our eyes open.”
Thompson said, “We welcome the former president. He will have to come under oath. He’s a citizen. And if he thinks he can come to our committee under oath, and perjure himself, then I would suggest he does not come.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN