Richard Cowan and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – A House committee will focus on testimony of Trump supporters’ top aides, and their families during congressional hearings regarding the 2021 attack on America’s Capitol.

A year of investigation has ended and the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee for Investigating the January Sixth Attack enters a new phase. Thursday’s prime-time hearing will be accompanied by videotape testimony from campaign officials as well as senior Trump White House officials.

An aide to the President said, “We will reveal that the violence that occurred Jan. 6, was the result a coordinated multi-step effort in order to overturn the results from the 2020 elections and stop the transfer to Donald Trump to Joe Biden. And indeed, that the former president, Donald Trump was at the centre of that effort.”

They declined to identify the taped witnesses. Trump close associates have spoke to the committee, including his son Donald Jr., Ivanka, and son-in law Jared Kushner. Also, ex-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, ex-Attorney General William Barr, senior aides to Mike Pence.

To capture as much television attention as possible, the session begins at 8 pm EDT (2400 GMT).

Two witnesses will be present at the hearing: Caroline Edwards (U.S. Capitol Police Officer), who suffered a traumatic brain injury during the attack and Nick Quested (a filmmaker who captured footage from the Proud Boys, the group accused of plotting the attack).

Thursday’s hearing marks the beginning of six scheduled this month by the Democratic-led Select Committee. It aims to reverse Republican efforts at downplaying or denying the violence of today, and there are still five months until the Nov. 8, midterm elections which will determine who holds the Senate for the next 2 years.

The committee is trying to prove that Trump’s Jan. 6 plan was made with Trump’s cooperation, and that democracy in the United States continues to be threatened.

On the morning of the attack, four people were killed. One was shot to death by police while the other died of natural causes. One of the victims was one police officer who sustained serious injuries. Later, four officers committed suicide. The Capitol was subject to damage worth millions of dollars.

Trump’s false election fraud claims have not stopped since Trump left office.

“IF WE CAN REACH PEOPLES”

One of seven Democrats who made up the panel, Adam Schiff told reporters Wednesday that democracy was “on more unstable ground than on Jan. 6,” he said. We will be successful if people are open-minded and if the American public is aware of the danger to democracy.

The hearing will be broadcast live by the three major networks NBC/ABC and CBS. However, Fox News, a popular choice of Trump supporters, will not air it on its main channel.

Two Republican members of the committee are Representatives Liz Cheney (its vice-chair) and Adam Kinzinger. Cheney and Representative Bennie Thomson, the Democratic chair of the panel, will be joining Cheney in making comments during the hearing to present the panel’s case.

Trump has been openly flirting about a 2024 White House run.

Although some Republicans in Congress condemned Trump’s actions within the first few days of the attack, almost everyone has since changed their tune.

This committee does not seek the truth. “It is a smear camp against President Donald Trump and Republican members of Congress, as well as against Trump voters throughout this country,” said Representative Elise Stefanik who succeeded Cheney in Republican leadership.