Despite widespread resistance from congressional Republicans, the House of Representatives established a select committee to investigate the deadly failed insurrection of January 6, when a mob of pro-Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol, beating police officers, ransacking offices, and threatening the lives of any lawmaker they perceived as disloyal to Trump.
The committee recently issued a wave of subpoenas for Trump officials and "Stop the Steal" activists like Steve Bannon and Ali Alexander to further the investigation into the riot's origins. Bannon, as well as Trump's former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, have refused to comply.
In a Twitter thread on Friday, anti-Trump Republican and a founder of the Lincoln Project—Rick Wilson—expressed his frustration with the committee, claiming it was "dead already" and that the January 6 riots would "go unexamined and unpunished."
1/ I have some bad news. After multiple calls I have some extremely grim news.\n\nAs of now 1/6 commission is dead already, and will not enforce the subpoenas. \n\nTrump wins. \n\nThe 1/6 terror plot will go unexamined and unpunished. \n\nTo say I'm livid is putting it mildly.— Rick Wilson (@Rick Wilson) 1633708212
A "livid" Wilson went on to say the committee was "staffed wrong, led wrong, and a gutless exercise to get back to talking about infrastructure." He warned that the insurrection was just a training exercise for something bigger, and that "a mob of Bannon's terrorists burn you to the ground and piss on the ashes."
Soon, the official Twitter account for the January 6 committee issued a blunt response to Wilson's claim.
This is all nonsensehttps://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/1446503202837442561\u00a0\u2026— January 6th Committee (@January 6th Committee) 1633717577
The account didn't elaborate on why Wilson's claims were "nonsense," and he urged them to prove him wrong.
Prove me wrong and I'll be DELIGHTED.https://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Rick Wilson (@Rick Wilson) 1633717747
I want NOTHING more than for y'all to saddle up and star holding bad guys to account. Right now, the bad guys think you're weak and they're laughing at you. \n\nSo get to it.https://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Rick Wilson (@Rick Wilson) 1633717844
Others agreed
Please, please, please prove Rick wrong. You said you\u2019d enforce subpoenas when the deadline ran out. It\u2019s 2:30 pm on a holiday weekend. The Members are at home. Did you ever intend for it to be a real deadline? #EnforceTheSubpeonashttps://twitter.com/january6thcmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Reed Galen (@Reed Galen) 1633717827
I love @TheRickWilson, but I am fine if you prove him wrong on this one \u2014 in fact our country absolutely needs you to step up here in a big way. So, don\u2019t let us down.https://twitter.com/january6thcmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Jennifer Harris (@Jennifer Harris) 1633718179
The USA had a FAILED COUP. We all saw it on TV. These people have to be held accountable. PERIOD!!https://twitter.com/january6thcmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Dewayne Smith (@Dewayne Smith) 1633722098
Prove it. \nA violent mob tried to deprive tens of millions of citizens of our franchise rights. \nWhy does congress exist if not to preserve #consentofthegoverned ?\n#EnforceTheSubpeonashttps://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— SFDukie (@SFDukie) 1633720849
Thank goodness! Next step? PROVE IT.https://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Brian Hjelle, virologist (@Brian Hjelle, virologist) 1633719369
In light of the collective defiance of the committee's subpoenas, the congressmembers released a statement saying they would "swiftly consider advancing a criminal contempt of Congress referral" to those who don't show up to testify.
Some are saying they're moving too slowly.
So then enforce the subpoenas.\n\nArrest Banon.https://twitter.com/January6thCmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Michael Paulauski (@Michael Paulauski) 1633719590
If this is all nonsense then please start arresting people for ignoring subpoenas! The time for talk is over. Action is needed to restore our faith in our government\u2026that we worked hard to elect in 2020! #EnforceTheSubpeonashttps://twitter.com/january6thcmte/status/1446542480426602514\u00a0\u2026— Ducks Can Resist Too \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc99\ud83e\udd86 (@Ducks Can Resist Too \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc99\ud83e\udd86) 1633720946
It's unclear how the committee intends to enforce the subpoenas.
