Actually, Republicans Want to Talk About January 6 After All

Photo: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

President Donald Trump began his second term by fulfilling one of his most controversial campaign promises: issuing mass pardons and commutations to about 1,500 defendants who were sentenced for their actions in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Among those receiving clemency are some of the most violent offenders from that day, including people charged with assaulting police officers using pieces of wood, a flag pole, and even officers’ own riot shields. But amid Democratic outrage over the move, most Republicans on Capitol Hill were ready to change the subject. (Though some did break with Trump on the matter.)

“There are better days ahead of us. That’s what we’re excited about. We’re not looking backwards. We’re looking forward,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a Wednesday press conference.

That posture lasted a few hours. Later on Wednesday, Johnson and the House Republican Conference announced the creation of a new committee focused on … January 6. The panel, which will be a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, will be chaired by Representative Barry Loudermilk of Georgia and is intended to “continue House Republicans’ investigation into all events leading up to and after January 6.”

In a statement, Johnson praised his caucus for “exposing the false narratives peddled by the politically motivated January 6 Select Committee” and promised that work would continue. “We are establishing this Select Subcommittee to continue our efforts to uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people,” he said.

Congressional Republicans have largely disavowed the findings of the previous January 6 committee formed in 2021, with many laying the blame on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In a likely preview of what’s to come, Loudermilk said last year that additional footage from the evacuation of the Capitol that day showed that Pelosi mishandled the building’s security, claims that the former House leader has long disputed. “For over three years, Nancy Pelosi has refused to take responsibility for her failure to secure the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Instead, she has pushed the focus of the failure on President Trump,” he said at the time.

Meanwhile, Trump has made no attempts to shy away from his decision. CNN reports that there have been internal discussions in the Trump administration about potentially inviting some of the pardoned January 6 rioters to the White House for a meeting with Trump, though the outlet notes that a visit has not been officially planned or scheduled.