The erstwhile president besides criticized the Jan. 6 committee successful the missive for not investigating his long-held, baseless claims of wide elector fraud successful the 2020 predetermination and repeated his mendacious claims that helium won the predetermination implicit President Joe Biden. The committee has shown grounds that Trump himself knew helium had mislaid the predetermination and had been informed repeatedly by White House, run and Justice Department aides that claims to the contrary were false.
Trump besides sought to blasted the onslaught by his ain supporters connected the Capitol — a radical helium assembled successful Washington and past urged to march connected Congress — connected Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. Trump and his allies person agelong accused Pelosi, without basis, of someway resisting the deployment of National Guard troops successful beforehand of Jan. 6. In reality, information decisions were based connected what instrumentality enforcement agencies said was quality that determination could beryllium thoroughfare violence, not a concerted onslaught connected the Capitol. The prime committee has shown grounds that immoderate of these agencies downplayed grounds of imaginable unit against Congress oregon failed to walk on tips.
Trump besides attached to the extremity of the missive what helium called “determinative evidence” that the predetermination was stolen — a compendium of well-worn, discredited claims — and appended a fewer photos of the immense assemblage of his supporters connected the National Mall connected Jan. 6.
He made nary notation of whether helium would comply with the committee’s subpoena to testify, leaving the panel’s chances of obtaining his deposition unclear. A ineligible effort to get Trump to attest would apt instrumentality acold longer than the astir 2 months remaining earlier the prime committee sunsets astatine the extremity of the existent Congress, and the determination to subpoena a erstwhile president is mostly unprecedented. Trump would beryllium lone the 4th president to ever attest earlier Congress. Only 1 erstwhile president since 1900 has been subpoenaed by Congress: Harry Truman, who defied the summons.
Although helium gave nary reply successful his Friday letter, Trump has offered tiny signals frankincense acold that helium is astatine slightest considering speaking to the Jan. 6 panel, including a Truth Social station earlier Friday greeting linking to a Fox News article that reported a “source adjacent to the erstwhile president” said Trump “loves the thought of testifying” earlier the committee.
Still, the erstwhile president appears improbable to instrumentality the ineligible hazard of testifying astatine a clip erstwhile aggregate transgression inquiries are pursuing grounds of Trump’s and his allies’ efforts to subvert the 2020 election. He has antecedently declined efforts to attest successful legislature inquiries related to his conduct, including the 2021 impeachment enquiry astir the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol, and prime committee members are skeptical that the erstwhile president volition comply with their subpoena.
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
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