Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger said that testimony from former United States President Donald Trump before the Jan. 6 House Select Committee would require negotiations between the two sides.
The Republican lawmaker said that he would address the matter when he is sure about the details of whether or not the Republican businessman tried to push to come in and talk to the panel live.
Trump's Potential Testimony
Kinzinger said that Trump has made it clear that he has nothing to hide in relation to the Capitol Hill incident. This means that he should come in on the day that the committee had asked him to come in to testify. The Republican member of the panel said that if the former president pushes off beyond that, they would have to figure out what to do next.
George Stephanopoulos questioned Kinzinger on whether Trump should be held in criminal contempt if he does not comply with the subpoena. However, the Illinois representative dodged the question, as per ABC News.
The Republican said that the decision would be something they discuss when the panel needs to, adding that the committee had a time limit and was trying to wrap up the investigation. The former president has not yet confirmed whether or not he would comply with the committee's subpoena to testify.
However, Trump did send the panel a 14-page screed reiterating his election fraud conspiracies surrounding the 2020 elections that he lost to Joe Biden. Kinzinger said that the committee made a decision in front of the American people and not behind closed doors to begin the process of subpoenaing the former president.
According to Politico, on Thursday, the committee chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson, said that the panel voted last week to bring in the former president to testify. He noted that they have left no doubt that Trump led an effort to upend American democracy that directly resulted in the violence of the Capitol Hill riot.
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Capitol Hill Riot Investigation
The situation comes as other current or former presidents of the United States have testified before Congress on various matters. These include Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gerald Ford, though none of them are in a similar situation as Trump.
Kinzinger said that the move to have the former president testify before the committee is not an unprecedented situation. However, he noted that it was still a relatively big deal and called it a "big move." In Trump's 14-page statement, he repeatedly condemned the committee, saying that they had poor television ratings and have chosen to perpetuate a "Show Trial."
The former president's conspiracy claims surrounding the 2020 elections were mostly anecdotal in nature while others have been long-disproved and/or rejected in court. Kinzinger is one of only two Republicans who are members of the committee, the other being Rep. Liz Cheney from Wyoming.
The lawmaker, who is not seeking re-election, said that he expects that American democracy will ultimately bounce back from the chaotic events of the Capitol riot. Kinzinger also noted that some Secret Service officials reportedly pledged to testify but have not yet come in, USA Today reported.
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