Trump Cancels January 6 Counter-Programming After January 6 Committee Requests Sean Hannity To Testify

Update to A Commemoration of January 6, 2021: ‘A Date Which Will Live In Infamy’ (excerpt):

Politico reported, At time of Capitol prayer service Jan. 6, Trump will deliver remarks doubling down on the ‘Big Lie’:

Donald Trump has already telegraphed the remarks he plans to give at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

If he follows the script laid out in his announcement of the news conference, he will commit a whitewashing of the day, repeating the lie that the 2020 election was rigged and defending his part in fomenting the insurrection — all while a solemn prayer service is held at the Capitol, in a vivid split-screen moment. And, as Trump castigates Republicans not toeing his line, his event will also serve as a marker of Trump’s extraordinary dominion over the GOP.

Oops! Change of plans after the January 6 Committee requested Fox News propagandist and Trump’s shadow chief of staff Sean Hannity to testify and to explain his forekowledge of events on January 6, and his apparent attempts to stop Trump. Trump cancels Jan. 6 news conference at Mar-a-Lago, blames news media and House committee investigating attack on Capitol:

Former president Donald Trump has canceled the “news conference” he planned to hold on Jan. 6 to mark the first anniversary of the attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

In a statement released Tuesday by his Save America PAC, Trump blamed the media and the bipartisan congressional committee that is investigating the attack. Trump’s lawyers are fighting the panel’s efforts to obtain his records.

“In light of the total bias and dishonesty of the January 6th Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media, I am canceling the January 6th Press Conference at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, and instead will discuss many of those important topics at my rally on Saturday, January 15th, in Arizona—It will be a big crowd!” Trump said.

Trump cancels Jan. 6 presser, will make remarks at Florence rally instead:

A scheduled Donald Trump rally in Arizona got more interesting after announcing he canceled his Jan. 6 press conference in Florida. In a message to supporters, the former president said he’s going to ditch the Thursday presser and will “discuss many of those important topics” at his rally in Florence on Jan. 15. “It will be a big crowd,” the statement said.

The Save America Rally (sic) is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at the Country Thunder Festival Grounds. Doors will open at 2 p.m.

Interesting choice of venue – Florence is where the Arizona State Prison is located. I’m sure they can ready a prison cell for Trump, because this is where this criminal belongs for “the crime of the century.”

According to a person familiar with the matter, Trump wanted to make a scene and deride reporters at the event but had been told repeatedly by his advisers that it could be the kind of coverage he doesn’t want. Trump also did not know exactly what he wanted his message to be, and his team was taken aback by how many reporters were planning on attending, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

“It was going to be awful, awful press,” a Trump adviser said. The adviser, who was not authorized to speak publicly about deliberations surrounding the event, said Trump had originally announced the news conference on a lark and without a plan in place.

But you called it a “press conference,” not one of your Nuremberg-style campaign rallies. Chickenshit can’t even face reporters with questions.

The timing of this annoucement coincides with the January 6 Committee announcing that it wants Fox News propagandist and a bedtime “pillow talk” adviser to Donald Trump, Sean Hannity – his shadow chief of staff -to testify and to explain his forekowledge of events on January 6, and his apparent attempts to stop Trump. House Jan. 6 committee requests information from Fox News host Sean Hannity:

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is requesting the voluntary cooperation of Fox News host Sean Hannity, saying it has information that indicates Hannity had relevant communications with President Donald Trump and some White House staff leading up to the Capitol siege and in the days afterward.

In a letter to Hannity on Tuesday, the heads of the committee wrote that they were in possession of material that suggested Hannity “had advance knowledge regarding President Trump’s and his legal team’s planning for January 6th.”

That information also showed Hannity expressed concerns and provided advice to Trump and White House staff members about that planning, wrote Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the chair and vice chair of the committee, respectively.

“You also had relevant communications while the riot was underway, and in the days thereafter,” they wrote. “These communications make you a fact witness in our investigation.”

According to the letter, the panel already has dozens of text messages that Hannity sent to and received from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

For example, according to the committee letter, Hannity texted Meadows on Dec. 31, 2020: “We can’t lose the entire WH counsels office. I do NOT see January 6 happening the way he is being told. After the 6 th. [sic] He should announce will lead the nationwide effort to reform voting integrity. Go to Fl and watch Joe mess up daily. Stay engaged. When he speaks people will listen.”

“Among many other things, this text suggests that you had knowledge of concerns by President Trump’s White House Counsel’s Office regarding the legality of the former President’s plans for January 6th,” Thompson and Cheney wrote. “These facts are directly relevant to our inquiry.”

The threat to resign by the White House Counsel’s Office was not publicly known at the time of this email. It was not reported in the media until days later.

Hannity also apparently sent and received a stream of texts the night before the insurrection, including one to Meadows that said he was “very worried about the next 48 hours” and another that read: “Pence pressure. WH counsel will leave.”

“What communications or information led you to conclude that White House Counsel would leave?” Thompson and Cheney wrote. “What precisely did you know at that time?”

* * *

Thompson and Cheney said Hannity appeared to have detailed knowledge about Trump’s state of mind following the storming of the Capitol based on a conversation that he may have had with the president Jan. 10. The committee leaders cited a message from Hannity to Meadows and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a close Trump ally [and another coup plotter].

“Guys, we have a clear path to land the plane in 9 days. He can’t mention the election again. Ever. I did not have a good call with him today. And worse, I’m not sure what is left to do or say, and I don’t like not knowing if it’s truly understood. Ideas?” Hannity wrote.

Thompson and Cheney closed by asking Hannity to preserve all records of the relevant communications and to provide the committee the name of his counsel. They emphasized that they were not seeking information about broadcasts of his Fox News show or his political views.

“We have no doubt that you love our country and respect our Constitution,” they wrote. “Now is the time to step forward and serve the interests of your country. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.”

I barfed just a little in my mouth over that. The January 6 Committee has no expectation that Fox News propagandist Sean Hannity will appear to testify. This is why they included his damning emails in their letter. It is their way of saying “you know that we know everything you said” from other witnesses.

CNN adds, January 6 committee seeks cooperation from Fox News’ Hannity and releases texts between host and White House (excerpt):

The committee asked Hannity for his voluntary cooperation with its investigation, noting it had received “dozens” of his text messages sent to and from former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows that indicate that he had “advance knowledge regarding President Trump’s and his legal team’s planning for January 6th.” In the letter, the panel said it wants to speak with Hannity specifically about his communications with Trump, White House staff and his legal team between December 31, 2020, and January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden was inaugurated.

The committee said it has text messages from Hannity pushing back on the plan to urge Congress to challenge the certification of the election on January 6 and urging Trump to prepare for his departure from office.

On January 5, Hannity wrote that he was “very worried about the next 48 hours.”

In its letter the committee asked Hannity, “With the counting of the electoral votes scheduled for January 6th at 1 p.m., why were you concerned about the next 48 hours?”

The committee also cited a separate December 31, 2020, exchange in which Hannity wrote to Meadows, “We can’t lose the entire WH counsel’s office. I do not see January 6 happening the way he is being told. After the 6th. [sic] He should announce will lead the nationwide effort to reform voting integrity. Go to Fl and watch Joe mess up daily. Stay engaged. When he speaks people will listen.”

The committee said it appeared that Hannity has “detailed knowledge regarding President Trump’s state of mind,” and engaged with the former President numerous times. The committee noted that Hannity spoke directly with Trump on January 5 about “his planning for January 6th” and on January 10, when Hannity “may have raised a number of specific concerns about his possible actions in the days before the January 20th inaugural.”

The committee referenced messages from January 10 that Hannity sent to Meadows and Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan: “Guys, we have a clear path to land the plane in 9 days. He can’t mention the election again. Ever. I did not have a good call with him today. And worse, I’m not sure what is left to do or say, and I don’t like not knowing if it’s truly understood. Ideas?”

Trump told CNN in a statement Tuesday evening, “I disagree with Sean on that statement and the facts are proving me right.”

In a text to Meadows on January 5, Hannity wrote that he was “very worried about the next 48 hours” and referred to then-Vice President Mike Pence, who oversaw the certification of the 2020 election, saying: “Pence Pressure. WH counsel will leave.”

And on January 6, Hannity urged Meadows to tell Trump he should “ask people to peacefully leave the [C]apit[o]l.”

Before sending its letter, the committee revealed it had text messages from Hannity to Meadows on the day of the attack, calling for Trump to take action.

According to the previously released text, Hannity said to Meadows: “Can he make a statement? Ask people to leave the Capitol?”

In its letter, the panel also made clear that it wants to learn more about the communications Hannity had as the riot was underway.

“We are aware of and interested in your communications to Mr. Meadows and others during the violent attack on January 6th, as the rioters were attempting to occupy the Capitol building,” the letter reads, specifically referencing a text message sent to Meadows about “a potential effort by members of President Trump’s cabinet to remove him from office under the 25th Amendment.”

Post-January 6: Members of Trump Cabinet discussing invoking 25th Amendment: Sources:

There have been discussions among some members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet and his allies over invoking the 25th Amendment, a potential vehicle for removing the president from office, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the discussions told ABC News.

It’s unclear how extensive these conversations have been or whether Vice President Mike Pence is supportive of such action. Many were horrified by Wednesday’s violence at the Capitol as well as Trump’s apparent lack of urgency in marshaling resources to stop the mob, the sources said.

[J]ohn Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, told CNN on Thursday that if he were still in the Cabinet, he’d vote to invoke the 25th Amendment.

While Kelly said he thinks invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump is a long shot, he believes the Cabinet should meet and discuss it.

“The behavior yesterday, and in the weeks and months before that, have just been outrageous from the president,” Kelly said. “And what happened on Capitol Hill yesterday is a direct result of his poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the frauds.”

The committee made clear that its questions for Hannity are narrowly focused on those topics and do not address his public broadcasts.

Despite the fact that Fox News is not a legitimate news organization, and its fascist propagandists are in no way journalists, the January 6 Committee is proceeding as if they are. This is why they have no expectation that Fox News propagandist Sean Hannity will appear to testify.

Trump impeachment lawyer Jay Sekulow is also Sean Hannity’s attorney. The Post reports:

Jay Sekulow, Hannity’s attorney, said in an email: “The request raises serious constitutional issues. We are reviewing the Committees letter and will respond as appropriate.”

In a statement to Axios, Sekulow argued that the committee’s request would raise “First Amendment concerns regarding freedom of the press.”

I would point out that the law makes a distinction between a reporter reporting on news, and a reporter who actively engages in a crime, in this case a seditious conspiracy.

Sean Hannity was sitting on knowledge of a coup attempt for which he was providing advice and failed to report it to prevent it, and also failed to notify law enforcement. He later tried to whitewash the events on January 6 to cover it up. He is no reporter, he is a co-conspirator. I would be happy to try this case in court.