The members of the US House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol sit beneath a video of former US President Donald Trump talking about the results of the 2020 US Presidential election as they hold their final public meeting to release their report on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, Dec 19, 2022. [Photo: Agencies]
After 18 months of investigation, the January 6 Committee of the House of Representatives recommended four separate charges for former US president Donald Trump and his associates on Tuesday — obstruction of official proceedings, conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to make a false statement and insurrection — for their roles in sparking the Capitol Hill riot.
While these referrals do not carry legal weight, the Department of Justice may consider the House panel's recommendations as part of their own inquiry into Trump's actions after the 2020 presidential election.
As always, Trump denied the charges immediately, alleging "There is no cross examination of this so-called witness. This is a Kangaroo Court!" A statement on the charges the Trump camp issued said the investigation is a stain in US history, and the "kangaroo court" is an insult to the intelligence of the US people and makes a mockery of US democracy.
So far, since it is not legally binding, the investigation can only be seen as an open insult of Trump. The panel is dominated by the Democrats, and that makes the finding almost predictable. However, as the Republicans won the House in the midterm elections, the panel might be counting its days.
With the ball in the court of the Department of Justice, whether it will charge Trump or not is a headache-maker for US President Joe Biden. If the charges are not officially pursued, Trump could further attack the probe as "political manipulation". If he is charged, it could backfire on the Democrats as the Trump camp might make a countercharge against the Biden administration's "political persecution".
However, the charges and related investigations are undoubtedly hot potatoes for Trump, as they might mingle with probes into his concealing of some confidential materials and his suspected tax evasion.
Trump's solution is to run for president, as he can claim that any investigation or accusation by his opponents is a "witch hunt" against him that he can take advantage of to avail his campaign. He is good at reversing situations completely by calling white black. After all, the prosecution and trial will take a long time, and Trump has top lawyers who can drag them out until the presidential election. And all the pressure the Biden administration tries to impose on Trump might find its way back through the Republicans' attempts to set up barriers for the implementation of its domestic and foreign policies.
One thing is predictable that the nearer it draws to the presidential election in 2024, the fiercer the dog fights between the Democrats and Republicans will become, and what happened at Capitol Hill almost two years ago will prove to be only the prologue.