Thursday night’s House Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the Capitol focused on former President Donald Trump’s  lack of response while the attack was occurring. 

According to testimony, live and previously recorded, Trump’s aides and his children begged him to do something to stop the attackers but he refused to do anything, as he watched the events unfold on television in a private dining room in the White House. 

For 187 minutes, more than three hours, instead of telling the rioters to go home, he phoned his allies in Congress (who were in the Capitol fleeing to safety), and his attorney Rudy Giuliani, asking them to support his attempts to stop the electoral college count. 

When Trump heard that the insurrectionists wanted to hang Mike Pence, he said Pence deserved it.

He ignored pleas from aides and chose instead to “pour gasoline on the fire,” former White House press aide Sarah Matthews testified.

Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone confirmed that Trump aides and family members pleaded with the president to stop the violence. 

Witnesses testified that they were unaware of any attempt by Trump to mobilize the military or law enforcement to help stop the insurrection.

Eventually, he begrudgingly did a tweet and a short video address, in which he expressed love and support for the rioters, while telling them to go home in peace.