As the Jan. 6 House select committee wrapped its second week of televised hearings, the committee was shown new photos that have never been made public until now — photos of former President Donald Trump just hours prior to the protests that happened on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to the New York Post, the photos, released by the National Archives, show that “Trump’s children, Ivanka, Eric and Don Jr., could be seen watching on as the call took place. Don Jr.’s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Eric’s wife, Lara Trump, were also in the Oval Office.”
The photos were shown to the committee as it dialed in on a “heated” phone call between Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to follow Trump’s demands that he hold off on certifying the Electoral College votes, on the suspicion of widespread ballot fraud.
Ivanka Trump’s chief of staff, Julie Radford, said he heard Trump call Pence “the p-word.” Another staffer said he heard the former president call Pence a “wimp” after he presumably refused to go through with halting the certification process.
New photograph of Trump and his entourage in Oval Office on January 6, 2021 (released by House Committee): pic.twitter.com/9C97f56r76
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) June 16, 2022
The House committee also revealed never before seen photos of Pence after he was taken to a secure location when protesters stormed the Capitol building, where he reportedly stayed for hours until the all-clear was given to return back to the Senate chamber.
Here are the photos from the National Archives — never before released publicly — of Pence in the Capitol’s secure location…
Pence Counsel Greg Jacob says VP “would not leave” the Capitol, even after staff was told to “get in cars” and leave for safety. pic.twitter.com/7Mq9LDeSIX
— Mike Valerio (@ValerioCNN) June 16, 2022
Recently, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the 1/6 committee, told reporters that his committee would not be making any criminal referrals to the Justice Department.
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney (WY), a co-chair of the committee, was frustrated with her colleague’s comments, and suggested that anything’s still possible.