Must-See Television
Dear Leading Ladies,
Watching the January 6 hearings is must-see television, as frightening and disturbing as the images and testimony are. Nothing conveys the gravity and scope of what transpired more than viewing these hearings, where all the information is presented together, with new evidence and first-person narrative to put it all in perspective.
When the Capitol was stormed on that day in 2021, only a year and a half ago, many of us reacted as if we were in shock. Now, with the benefit of time, and the addition of more data and video, we can truly understand the import of what occurred.
And, as Representatives Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Liz Cheney (R-WY) with their committee are making clear, the assault on the Capitol was a well-planned and seditious assault on our democracy, a threat to our form of government which, though imperfect, remains a beacon for the world.
cnbc.com
Takeaways
Several news outlets have synopsized the major takeaways of the first three hearings.
They agree that:
Many of President Trump’s advisors told him that his claims of winning the election were false and that the steps he wanted to take after the election were illegal. Still, he pushed ahead with the help of John Eastman, an attorney who acknowledged that the claim wouldn’t hold up in court (and later sought a pardon from Trump before he left office).
Vice President Mike Pence refused, from the outset, to reject the outcome of the election and did not believe he had the power to single-handedly deny the will of the people.
Trump’s vocal and outspoken pressure on Pence helped trigger the violent assault on the Capitol.
If Pence had acquiesced to Trump’s demands, our system of government would have been damaged as never before in history.
Listening to former Attorney General Barr describe Trump’s claims as “bullshit”; hearing Ivanka Trump say she accepted Barr’s assessment of the situation; watching as Capitol police officer Caroline Edwards, who received a brain injury during the riot, testified about slipping in people’s blood as she tried to hold back the insurgents; and watching Vice President Pence and members of Congress being shepherded to safety as their lives were threatened by fellow Americans – this all is blood-curdling and almost beyond comprehension.
Of course, now the question becomes, what next?
What will become of our outrage?
We know that the hearings are preaching to the choir. Fox News is not even covering them. They are operating in an alternative universe, where the assault on the Capitol never occurred or, if it did, doesn’t really matter.
So will the hearings, and their broadcast on the major networks, change any people’s minds? Certainly, the strong Trump supporters will only feel emboldened. Perhaps, more Republicans of conscience, like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, will discover their moral compasses, and remember their roots in democracy.
That would be nice.
The greatest risk, and we say this knowing we may sound like a broken record, is what could happen in November at the midterm elections. If Trump’s followers gain momentum with their lies about the stolen election and, now, about a partisan witch hunt by the January 6 Commission, the balance in Congress could be seriously upset. And we don’t just mean with more Republicans than Democrats. We mean with Representatives and Senators who supported a president who threatened to overturn our system of government and who do not support these priorities:
Equal and universal access to quality health care, education, food and housing
Voting rights
Stricter gun control laws
Humane immigration laws
LGBTQ+ rights
A woman’s right to choose
What can we do?
Once again, we encourage everyone to support candidates in other states who believe in the values and policies above. The future of our democracy depends on it. The League of Women Voters, Force Multiplier and Emily’s List all do a good job vetting candidates and explaining their positions on issues. Also, consider writing letters for Vote Forward’s campaign to increase election turnout.
Don’t turn your eyes away from the television. There are several more hearings to watch. What happens during these sessions and after them will matter. Some of us remember watching the Watergate hearings 49 years ago during the summer of 1973. We were riveted to our sets if we didn’t have to be in school or at work. Our president was being exposed as a liar and a cheat, surrounded by a troop of evildoers. Soon he left in shame. But we never felt our government was at risk. There just seemed to be a few bad players at the top with few supporters among the ordinary people. This feels vastly different.
Netflix and Prime can wait. The true drama is playing out in real time.
We’ll be watching with you,
Therese (she, her)
Judy (she, her)
Mary (she, her)
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org