January 6 Hearings: ‘The Violence Was No Accident’, Says US House Panel Chairman

January 6 is the day when supporters of former US President Donald Trump laid siege to the Capitol Hill. 

(Photo: PTI)

A House of Representatives select panel, during the hearing of the 6 Jan 2021 Capitol Hill Riots on Thursday, 9 June, claimed that former United States (US) President Donald Trump unlawfully held onto power and the hearing showed that his close aides, including his daughter, were not by his side.

As per Reuters, the committee also showed footage of rioters and Trump supporters attacking the lawmakers and police, forcing their way into the Capitol during the previous six hearings.

The House panel has blamed Trump, claiming that the attack was not spontaneous but a planned "attempted coup" which was triggered by his efforts of overturning the 2020 election where he suffered a massive defeat.

On 6 January 2021, pro-Trump protesters had stormed the US Capitol in Washington, DC, in scenes that were broadcast live on multiple news channels across the world.

Members of both Houses of the US Congress were meeting to conduct the vote certifying the Electoral College victory of Joe Biden in the US presidential election. Both Houses had to be evacuated, before the Senate reconvened later.

'Democracy Remains in Danger': Panel Chairman Bennie Thompson

"6 January was the culmination of an attempted coup, a brazen attempt, as one writer put it shortly after 6 Jan, to overthrow the government," Democratic US Representative and panel Chairman Bennie Thompson asserted in an opening statement in the hearing, reported Reuters.

“Democracy remains in danger... the violence was no accident.” he added.

Attorney General William Barr, in a video testimony, said that the election fraud claims were "bullshit".

Ivanka Trump, the former president's daughter also testified that she believes there was no election fraud.

"I respect Attorney General Barr. So I accepted what he was saying."

Trump has been reiterating since 2020 that his defeat in the elections was caused by widespread fraud. This claim has been rejected by numerous courts, officials and members of his administration on multiple occasions.

(With inputs from Reuters and AP)