WHAT HAPPENED?

Capitol Panel Will Investigate Trump’s Desperate Jan. 6 Phone Call Hours Before Riot

The panel is reportedly weighing up a subpoena for Rudy Giuliani as part of its probe.

On Jan. 6, shortly before his supporters broke into the Capitol building, Donald Trump reportedly called a group of his closest advisers to ask for any last-minute ideas on how to block Joe Biden’s certification. Now, the House panel investigating the Capitol riot wants to know what was said on that call. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the chairman of the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack, told The Guardian he intends to request the contents of the call that was first reported last month. According to that report, Trump made several calls from the White House to his allies at the Willard Hotel in Washington on the afternoon of Jan. 6 after it became clear that Mike Pence would not block the Biden certification. He reportedly asked the group—that is said to have included Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Steve Bannon—to come up with an alternative plan. The Guardian reported that the panel may subpoena Rudy Giuliani as part of its investigation into the phone call.