GOP brawls over Trump on eve of first Jan. 6 hearing
By Mike Lillis and Scott Wong - 07/26/21 06:14 PM EDT
House Democrats on Tuesday will launch their long-sought investigation into the Capitol attack of Jan. 6, kicking off a contentious probe just as GOP infighting over the insurrection — and former President Trump’s role in it — is reaching a fever pitch.
The first hearing of the select committee will feature testimony from police officers who defended the Capitol complex from the violent mob that day. But much of the focus Tuesday will be on a pair of panel Republicans — hand-picked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — who have emerged as the GOP face of the anti-Trump movement, both in Congress and far beyond.
The appointment of Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to the special committee — while benefiting Democrats by boosting the bipartisan bona fides of the panel — sparked a firestorm of controversy within the Republican conference. Heading into Tuesday’s hearing, the internal GOP sparring has now evolved into a bare-knuckle brawl.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) ripped the two defectors on Monday, characterizing them as “Pelosi Republicans” — a disparaging reference, in the eyes of conservatives, given the GOP’s historic disdain for the long-serving Democratic leader.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/564925-gop-brawls-over-trump-on-eve-of-first-jan-6-hearing
