The Washington Post’s editorial board says Democrats on the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot should subpoena former President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, her husband, Jared Kushner, and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
In an op-ed published Monday, the editorial board noted the select committee would begin its work by holding a hearing Tuesday. They will hear from police officers who defended the Capitol.
The editorial board acknowledged there is “much for the select committee to uncover.”
The Post explained, “Top of the list is precisely what then-President Donald Trump did before, during and after the attack. How did he prepare his speech preceding the insurrection, in which he told the crowd to fight? What did he anticipate his audience’s reaction would be? When did he know the pro-Trump mob was threatening the Capitol? Why did he offer only mild statements long after the danger was clear? Did Trump-affiliated rally organizers coordinate with extremist groups?”
The editorial added, “Answering such questions calls for subpoenaing former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; Mr. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner; and other White House aides with useful information.”
The outlet also argued the committee “must examine whether any lawmakers themselves maintained connections with or even abetted the rioters.”
The Post wrote, “Investigators should hear from extremist-group leaders at the center of the violence. How did they prepare? What was their goal?”
According to the newspaper’s editors, the committee should also hear from “Justice Department and Capitol Police officials who failed to anticipate the riot.”
They asked, “Why did intelligence officials across the government seem unaware of warnings that were all over social media? To what extent did law enforcement discount or ignore warning signs about right-wing extremists because federal and local officers did not want to cross Mr. Trump and other Republicans? Why did the National Guard take so long to arrive?”
Concluding their arguments, the editorial board said the investigation “should lead to recommendations to forestall a repeat of such political violence, with a particular focus on how the government monitors domestic extremism.”
They called on the Democrats to avoid making it “the partisan exercise that Republicans claim it will be.”
