House Republicans eager to anticipate the avalanche of revelations that the Jan. 6 committee has scheduled for prime-time hearings tomorrow night have really launched their counter-programming blitz. this morning.
News boost: GOP House Speaker Elise Stefanik (RNY), one of President Trump’s top deputies on Jan. 6, accused Democrats of “stepping out to change headlines, praying so that the nation can concentrate on its partisan witch hunt. out of our pockets. “
- Stefanik described the investigation as “a smear campaign” against Trump and criticized the committee’s hiring of former CBA President James Goldston to produce television audiences.
- MP Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) also followed the panel in a new opinion piece for The Federalist entitled: “The real aim of the J6 committee is to slander and embarrass conservatives outside the public sphere.”
Why It’s Important: This is just a sample of what Republicans have prepared for the upcoming messaging war: a counter-offensive drawn up during private deliberations in which key Trump deputies reviewed old documents, settled on discussion points, and they outlined their media strategy.
Between the lines: a major hurdle is that the Jan. 6 committee has kept many of its letters close to the vest. No matter how much preparation the Republicans have made, they have little way of knowing which bombs they will be forced to refute.
What we are seeing
1. The bet of the citation challenge.
- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) And four other House Republicans have indicated they have no plans to comply with the citations issued by the committee last month.
- This is unfamiliar territory: Republicans’ refusal to cooperate with unprecedented subpoenas will force the court to decide whether to file charges of criminal contempt, dragging the Justice Department into the political spotlight.
2. Trump’s involvement.
- Axios reported last week that the former president has not ruled out a public appearance as part of an effort by him and his allies to flood the airwaves with his own messages.
- During the initial arguments of his first impeachment trial in 2019, before being banned on Twitter, Trump was so excited that he broke his record for most tweets sent in a day.
3. Loyalty test.
- While it is clear that the House’s top Republicans, McCarthy, Stefanik, Jordan and Rep. they just want to get through January. 6 in total.
- Choosing not to defend the former president could provoke a negative reaction and a possible retribution.
- Pay special attention to eight other Republicans, as well as representatives Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) And Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Who are part of the committee, who voted to oust Trump after the attack.
- Deputy Tom Rice (RS.C.), one of 10 Republicans who voted for him, said Sunday that he is still “livid” that Trump did nothing to stop the riot.
4. Basic work for retaliation.
- House Republicans are eager to sink their teeth into the Biden administration and Congress Democrats if they regain a majority next year, even with their own Watergate-style audiences covering a catalog of alleged crimes.
- Jordan, who spoke at today’s press conference, would be chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee next year if Republicans are in power, and has vowed to unleash a slew of investigations in return.