The chairman of the congressional committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol has contracted Covid – but Thursday’s primetime hearing will proceed, according to a tweeted statement from the chair, Mississippi congressman Bennie Thompson.
A committee spokesperson, Tim Mulvey, said: “While Chairman Thompson is disappointed with his Covid diagnosis, he has instructed the select committee to proceed with Thursday evening’s hearing. Committee members and staff wish the chairman a speedy recovery.”
Two former White House aides are expected to testify as the panel examines what Donald Trump was doing as his supporters stormed the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the plans.
Matthew Pottinger, a former deputy national security adviser, and Sarah Matthews, a former press aide, are expected to testify, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
Pottinger and Matthews resigned immediately after the January 6 riot, which interrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.
Lawmakers on the nine-member panel have said the hearing will offer the most compelling evidence yet of Trump’s “dereliction of duty”, with witnesses detailing his failure to stem the angry mob.
“We have filled in the blanks,” the Illinois Republican Adam Kinzinger said on Sunday. “This is going to open people’s eyes in a big way.”
He added: “The president didn’t do very much but gleefully watch television during this timeframe.”
Thursday’s hearing will be the first in the primetime slot since the 9 June debut, which was watched by an estimated 20 million people.
Although questions remain about what exactly Trump was doing and saying as the mob descended on the Capitol, the committee has been laying out a case that the attack was premeditated and instigated by Trump.
Trump and his allies have insisted that the riot was spontaneous.
The House committee also told the Secret Service it had until Tuesday to turn over deleted texts sent the day before and the day of the insurrection.
The deleted text messages may be important, as the panel looks into how the Secret Service handled Trump and then vice-president Mike Pence as the riot unfolded.
Elsewhere in Washington on Tuesday, Trump’s former top strategist, Steve Bannon, was back in federal court for the second day of his trial. Bannon faces a charge of criminal contempt of Congress, after he failed to comply with a subpoena from the House committee.
Associated Press contributed reporting
