Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois both choked up at the first hearing for the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as they questioned four Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department officers who withstood the mob.
“I never expected today to be quite as emotional for me as it has been,” Kinzinger said as he choked up. “I’ve talked to a number of you and gotten to know you. I think it’s important to tell you right now, though: You guys may, like, individually, feel a little broken. … But you guys won. You guys held.”
Kinzinger, wearing a blue tie and with his voice breaking, continued: “Democracies are not defined by our bad days. We’re defined by how we come back from bad days, how we take accountability for that. For all the overheated rhetoric surrounding this committee, our mission is very simple: It’s to find the truth, and it’s to ensure accountability.”
CHENEY WARNS OF ‘ANOTHER JAN. 6 EVERY FOUR YEARS’ WITHOUT COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION
Kinzinger gets choked up in his opening remarks at the Jan. 6 select committee: “I never expected today to be quite as emotional for me as it has been… you guys may individually feel a little broken… but you guys won. You guys held.” pic.twitter.com/u9GEPURNPk
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 27, 2021
Later in the hearing, Schiff also became visibly emotional at the end of his questioning.
“I’d like to think, as Amanda Gorman so eloquently said, that we’re not broken — we’re just unfinished. Because if we’re no longer committed to a peaceful transfer of power after our elections if our side doesn’t win, then God help us,” Schiff said. “We deem elections illegitimate merely because they don’t go our way rather than trying to do better the next time, then God help us.”
“And if we’re so driven by bigotry and hate that we attack our fellow citizens as traitors if they were born in another country or they don’t look like us,” Schiff said before he paused to collect himself as he teared up. “Then God help us. But I have faith because of folks like you.”
“I didn’t expect this would be emotional either,” Schiff added. “It must be an Adam thing today.”
Rep. Adam Schiff starts tearing up during the Jan 6 Select Committee hearing:
“If we deem elections illegitimate merely because they didn’t go our way rather than trying to do better the next time, then God help us.” pic.twitter.com/BHQZHnfilT
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 27, 2021
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The two lawmakers’ displays of emotion followed tearful and forceful testimony from all four of the officers about what they experienced on Jan. 6.
