Donald Trump.Photo: Steven Ferdman/WireImage
Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday that he isn’t prepared to say whether he believes the former president committed a crime, but that the House of Representatives committee should have “a pretty good idea” once its probe is over.
The congressman continued: “Nobody is above the law. And if the president knowingly allowed what happened on Jan. 6 to happen and, in fact, was giddy about it, and that violates a criminal statute, he needs to be held accountable for that.”
Several former Trump administration officials are currently facing a subpoena from the committee, including former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows; former senior advisers to the presidentStephen MillerandJason Miller; former White House Press SecretaryKayleigh McEnany; Trump’s re-election campaign manager, Bill Stepien; and former National Security AdvisorMichael Flynn.
Trump himself is among those who has been compelled to bring forward documents related to the investigation, after ajudge denied the former president’s requestto block the committee from seeing records related to the planning, execution and response to events on Jan. 6.
He has repeatedly dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated “witch hunt.” In the hours after the attack, Trump sent contradictory messages, both praising the group but urging them to be peaceful and return home.
Kinzinger, who is retiring next year, is one of two Republicans (including Rep. Liz Cheney) on the House panel investigating the riots. He, like Cheney, is an outspoken member of his party’s anti-Trump minority.
He previously toldThe Washington Postthat he brought a gun to Congress on Jan. 6 out of fear the pro-Trump rally down the street from where Congress was meeting to certify Joe Biden’s win could turn violent.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday, he said he “got the chills” when security alarms rang out that morning, as lawmakers were gathered to certify the election.
“I got the chills, frankly,” Kinzinger said. “I stood up and felt a real dark kind of feeling. A sense of evil kind of descending over the place.”
“I had the gun out, and was like, ‘You know, it may come down to I have to defend myself,’ " he said. “We had no idea at all what was going on.”
source: people.com
