The House hearing this week on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot got off to an inauspicious start.

“We are going to be guided solely by the facts,” said Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi in his opening remarks. “The facts of what happened on Jan. 6, in the run-up to that tragic day, and what has taken place since … There’s no place for politics or partisanship in this investigation. Our only charge is to follow the facts where they lead us.”