A Democrat on the House Oversight Committee criticized former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller for what the lawmaker claimed to be inconsistencies with his testimony.
Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Massachusetts Democrat, asked Miller whether former President Donald Trump was the reason behind the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and was unhappy with his response during his time in front of the Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
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The tense exchange began when Lynch asked Miller if he stood by his previous comments to Vice that it’s “pretty much definitive” that the riot wouldn’t have happened without Trump’s speech on Jan. 6, which occurred shortly before the riot.
Miller explained that he wanted to “modify” the comment, which prompted the lawmaker to say, “Why am I not surprised?”
The former defense secretary elaborated, “It seems clear there was some sort of conspiracy where there were organized assault elements that intended to assault the Capitol that day.”
Lynch repeated the question and then proceeded to cut off Miller during his response.
Miller, moments later, stated that he now believes Trump’s speech was not a “unity factor at all.”
The lawmaker proceeded to invoke a line from Miller’s opening statement, in which the former acting defense secretary said, “I stand by my prior observation that I personally believe his comments encouraged the protesters that day, but I am not in a position to make an official assessment of his responsibility.”
The exchange became even cagier when Lynch called the supposed testimonial change “a very recent reversal.”
Following the claim, Miller called it “ridiculous,” to which Lynch retorted, “You’re ridiculous.”
Miller testified in front of the Oversight Committee along with former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and Robert J. Contee III, the chief of the metropolitan police department.
Thousands of Trump supporters traveled to Washington, D.C., to hear the then-president speak at a rally on the morning of the day Congress was set to confirm President Joe Biden’s victory in the election, despite Trump’s repeated promotion of unsubstantiated claims to suggest he was the rightful winner.
During the speech, he urged his supporters to march to the Capitol to voice their displeasure with the confirmation of Biden’s victory, though he urged them to do it “peacefully and patriotically.”
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There were violent clashes with police both inside and outside of the Capitol building, while in other instances, Trump supporters were seen walking around nonviolently.
The riot led to Trump’s second impeachment. He was acquitted in the Senate, although seven Republicans voted to remove him from office. He is the only U.S. president in history to be impeached twice.
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