The Jan. 6 committee on Thursday unanimously voted to subpoena former President Donald Trump as a part of its inquiry into the 2021 Capitol riot, NBC News reports. Panel members had previously said such a request was not off the table.
News of the plan first arrived during what was expected to be the committee's final hearing on Thursday afternoon.
Committe Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) appeared to allude to such a move at the start of the hearing, noting that the panel could vote on "further investigative action" since the Thursday event was technically a "formal committee business meeting," per The New York Times and CNBC. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was apparently made aware of the plan before proceedings began, the Times adds, per a source.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It's almost certain that Trump will fight the subpoena, "and attempts to enforce it" will likely lead "to a protracted legal battle," the Times adds. That said, the panel's subpoena expires at the end of the current congressional term — so it has to act fast.
Trump isn't the first former president to be subpoenaed by Congress, NBC News notes: "Several sitting and former presidents and vice presidents have also testified before congressional committees, including Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Gerald R. Ford."
"We have sufficient information to consider criminal referrals for multiple individuals, and to recommend a range of legislative proposals to guard against another Jan. 6th, but a key task remains," Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Thursday. "We must seek the testimony under oath of Jan. 6th's central player."
Update 4 p.m. ET: This article has been updated throughout to reflect the vote to subpoena Trump.
-
The return to the stone age in house buildingUnder the Radar With brick building becoming ‘increasingly unsustainable’, could a reversion to stone be the future?
-
Rob Jetten: the centrist millennial set to be the Netherlands’ next prime ministerIn the Spotlight Jetten will also be the country’s first gay leader
-
Codeword: November 4, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Trump to partly fund SNAP as shutdown talks progressSpeed Read The administration has said it will cover about 50% of benefits
-
Trump’s White House ballroom: a threat to the republic?Talking Point Trump be far from the first US president to leave his mark on the Executive Mansion, but to critics his remodel is yet more overreach
-
‘Not every social scourge is an act of war’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Pentagon unable to name boat strike casualtiesSpeed Read The Pentagon has so far acknowledged 14 strikes
-
41 political cartoons for October 2025Cartoons Editorial cartoonists take on Donald Trump, ICE, Stephen Miller, the government shutdown, a peace plan in the Middle East, Jeffrey Epstein, and more.
-
Trump limits refugees mostly to white South AfricansSpeed Read The administration is capping the number of refugees at 7,500
-
Judge rules US attorney ‘unlawfully serving’Speed Read Bill Essayli had been serving in the role without Senate confirmation
-
Trump ends Asia trip with Xi meeting, nuke threatSpeed Read Trump had spent the last six days in Asia
