7 takeaways from the January 6 hearing

The House select committee’s final hearing on the Capitol Hill insurrection before the midterm elections Thursday used new testimony and evidence to demonstrate how former President Donald Trump knew he had lost the election but still went forward with efforts to overturn the results, leading to the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The committee’s hearing used new records obtained from the Secret Service and new deposition footage from former Trump Cabinet secretaries and White House officials to bolster the argument that Trump still remains a danger to democracy heading into the 2024 election.

Here are the takeaways from the committee’s latest January 6 hearing:

Committee votes to subpoena former President

The committee voted Thursday to subpoena Trump for documents and testimony, marking an escalation in the panel’s efforts to obtain testimony from the former President.

The committee’s leaders argued that Trump was at the center of efforts to overturn the 2020 election that led to the violence of the insurrection, and as a result they needed Trump’s testimony to tell the complete story of January 6.

“We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion,” said Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the panel’s top Republican. “And every American is entitled to the answers, so we can act now to protect our republic.”

And select committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, argued that Trump “is the one person at the center of the story of what happened on January 6th. So we want to hear from him.”

Of course, the panel is issuing the subpoena nearing the end of recognition as a select committee, which is likely an acknowledgment that Trump is not going to comply. Should Trump object to the subpoena, it could lead to a lengthy court fight that outlives the committee.

That’s because if Republicans take back control of the House, which they’re favored to do, the January 6 committee as it’s currently constructed will cease to exist – giving the panel less than three months to issue a final report of its findings.

Still, the subpoena marks a notable escalation in taking on Trump directly. While it’s not unprecedented, congressional subpoenas to sitting or former presidents are rare. And if Trump does buck the subpoena, it would allow the committee to proclaim that it made a formal attempt to get Trump to talk to panelists, only to see him to refuse.

Panel airs new footage of congressional leaders scrambling to respond from Fort McNair

The committee aired previously unseen footage from Fort McNair, the DC-area Army base where congressional leaders took refuge during the insurrection and scrambled to respond to the unfolding crisis.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, said during the hearing that the footage highlights how Trump administration officials and congressional leaders worked around Trump to put down the riot that he had incited. By showing these behind-the-scenes clips, the committee delivered on its promise to present new material from January 6 to the public.

The footage shows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top officials working the phones and coordinating with Trump Cabinet members and other officials to secure the resources needed to quell the insurrection and secure the Capitol.

The footage also showed two phone calls between Pelosi and then-Vice President Mike Pence, who took on an impromptu leadership role on January 6, coordinating the emergency response.

The new footage showed Schumer dressing down then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. During their heated phone call, Schumer implored Rosen to intervene directly with Trump, and tell Trump to call off the mob. During the call, Pelosi told Rosen that the pro-Trump rioters were “breaking the law… at the instigation of the President of the United States.”

During the hearing, the panel labeled the footage as showing lawmakers at an “undisclosed location.” It has been public knowledge since January 6, 2021, that senior congressional leaders from both parties took refuge at Fort McNair, while the Capitol was overrun.

CNN has obtained additional footage from Fort McNair that wasn’t shown by the committee. The exclusive footage will air on CNN on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET, during a special edition of “Anderson Cooper 360°.” The footage shows congressional leaders, after evacuating from the Capitol, gathering at Fort McNair working the phones, trying to figure out what was going on at the overrun Capitol, and begging for help as they frantically scrambled to quell the insurrection.

Public hears from Elaine Chao interview

Elaine Chao, who resigned from her post as Trump’s secretary of Transportation a day after the insurrection, spoke in personal terms about her disgust toward the attack when she testified to the committee.

“I think the events at the Capitol, however they occurred, were shocking and it was something that, as I mentioned in my statement, that I could not put aside,” said Chao, one of the former members of Trump’s Cabinet whose recorded testimony lawmakers aired on Thursday.

“And at a particular point, the events were such that it was impossible for me to continue, given my personal values and my philosophy. I came as an immigrant to this country. I believe in this country. I believe in the peaceful transfer of power. I believe in democracy. And so I was – it was a decision that I made on my own,” she said.

CNN reported in August that Chao, who is also the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, had met with the committee. But after condemning the attack in her resignation letter in early 2021, Chao has largely stayed out of the national spotlight, with her recent comments to the committee providing fresh insight into her thinking on the deadly attack.

The House select commiittee investigating last year's attack on the US Capitol holds its final meeting on Monday, December 19.

Men who defended the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, attend Monday's public meeting. From right ar Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, former Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone, Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges and Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell.

A screen above the committee reads "Trump knew he lost" as the panel summarizes its various findings on Monday.

US Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee's chairman, speaks at Monday's meeting. "I believe nearly two years later, this is still a time of reflection and reckoning," he said. "If we are to survive as a nation of laws and democracy, this can never happen again."

The committee held 10 public hearings over the past few months.

Gonell and Hodges, who were both injured defending the US Capitol, attend the committee's public hearing on October 13.

US Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee's vice chairwoman, offers a motion to subpoena former President Donald Trump on October 13.

A video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is played during the hearing on October 13. The committee aired previously unseen footage from Fort McNair, the DC-area Army base where congressional leaders took refuge during the insurrection and scrambled to respond to the unfolding crisis.

Committee members listen to testimony on October 13.

From left, Hodges, Gonell and Dunn watch the hearing on October 13.

The committee plays a video of Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative and ally of Trump. The day before the 2020 election, Stone said in front of a documentary film crew that he had no interest in waiting to tally actual votes before contesting the election results. "F**k the voting, let's get right to the violence," Stone could be heard saying, according to footage provided by a Danish documentary film crew and obtained by CNN.

US Rep. Zoe Lofgren, one of the committee members, speaks during proceedings on October 13. The committee revealed new evidence that Trump had a premeditated plan to declare victory no matter what the election results were. "The evidence shows that his false victory speech was planned well in advance, before any votes had been counted," Lofgren said.

Thompson arrives with other committee members on October 13.

Thompson talks to reporters prior to the October 13 hearing.

Previously unseen footage of then-President Trump rehearsing a video message is shown over the committee during its public hearing on July 21. During outtakes of the message, recorded on January 7, 2021, Trump struggled to condemn the violence at the US Capitol and refused to say "the election is over."

US Rep. Elaine Luria speaks during the hearing on July 21. She and Rep. Adam Kinzinger were the committee members leading the hearing that day. "What you will learn is that President Trump sat in his dining room and watched the attack on television while his senior-most staff, closest advisers, and family members begged him to do what is expected of any American president," she said.

Members of the press cover the hearing on July 21.

Former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews watches as former deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger testifies during the July 21 hearing. Pottinger served on Trump's National Security Council before resigning in the immediate aftermath of the January 6 attack. In his testimony, he said that Trump's tweet calling Vice President Mike Pence a "coward" essentially was "fuel being poured on the fire" the day of the insurrection. "I was disturbed and worried to see that the President was attacking Vice President Pence for doing his constitutional duty," Pottinger said.

Trump reviews footage of himself after recording a statement in the White House Rose Garden on January 6, 2021. He was delivering a message to his supporters who had stormed the Capitol.

Thompson appears remotely as he delivers opening remarks at the July 21 hearing. He was not able to attend in person because he had Covid-19.

Matthews and Pottinger arrive to provide testimony at the July 21 hearing.

Members of the press prepare to cover the July 21 hearing.

Kinzinger speaks during the hearing on July 21. "Almost everybody wanted President Trump to instruct the mob to disperse," he said. "President Trump refused."

Cheney swears in Matthews and Pottinger on July 21.

US Rep. Jamie Raskin, one of the committee members, rides in an elevator before the hearing on July 21.

Footage from last year's US Capitol attack is seen on July 21.

Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell speaks to members of the press before the July 21 hearing. Gonell was one of the officers who defended the Capitol on the day of the attack.

Jason Van Tatenhove, a former spokesperson and self-described "propagandist" for the Oath Keepers, appears for testimony during the public hearing on July 12. He said he is worried that if Trump runs again in 2024, he will try to "whip up a civil war amongst his followers using lies and deceit." Van Tatenhove said: "What else is (Trump) going to do if he gets elected again? All bets are off at that point."

Recorded testimony of former White House counsel Pat Cipollone is shown over the House select committee during its hearing on July 12. In the video footage, Cipollone said he agreed with other Trump officials that there was not sufficient evidence of election fraud.

Stephen Ayres, second from left, shakes hands with Gonell after giving testimony to the committee. Ayres was one of the Capitol rioters on January 6. Gonell was one of the officers who defended the Capitol that day, and we learned that the injuries he suffered in the attack are forcing him to quit policing.

People inside the hearing room listen to the proceedings on July 12.

Raskin speaks during the July 12 hearing. Raskin and Rep. Stephanie Murphy were the committee members leading the hearing.

Name placards for Van Tatenhove and Ayres are prepared before their testimony on July 12.

Gonell listens as Raskin talks about the injuries Gonell suffered while defending the Capitol on January 6.

Ayres, who in June pleaded guilty to entering the Capitol illegally, arrives to testify on July 12. Ayres said in his testimony that he believed that Trump would be marching to the Capitol with his supporters on January 6: "I think everybody thought he would be coming down. He said in his speech ... it was kind of like he was going to be there with us. ... I believed it."

The committee is seated on July 12.

Cassidy Hutchinson, who was once an aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, is sworn in to testify during a hearing on June 28. In her testimony, Hutchinson revealed how President Trump and his inner circle were warned about the potential for violence on January 6, and she said Trump wanted to join his supporters at the US Capitol.

Video of Trump is displayed on a screen during the hearing on June 28.

Raskin holds his notes while speaking to journalists on June 28.

A note written by Hutchinson on January 6, 2021, is displayed during the hearing on June 28.

Photographers document the hearing on June 28.

Hutchinson testifies on June 28.

Chairman Thompson listens to Hutchinson's testimony on June 28.

Hutchinson walks back into the hearing room after a break in the proceedings.

Journalists watch the June 23 hearing on a laptop outside the hearing room.

Kinzinger speaks during the committee hearing on June 23.

Former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen testifies during the hearing on June 23. During his testimony, Rosen said he told then-President Trump that he would not allow the Justice Department to do anything that would give validity to false claims of election fraud.

Members of the committee listen to testimony on June 23.

Rosen is displayed on a monitor while testifying on June 23.

Steven Engel, former assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, looks on during the June 23 hearing. Engel testified that there had been no legal basis to appoint a Justice Department special counsel to investigate voter fraud in 2020, even though Trump demanded it.

From left, Rosen and former acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue prepare to testify on June 23.

From left, former Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone and actor Sean Penn attend the hearing on June 23. Penn, who has been following the committee hearings, told reporters, "I'm just here to observe, just another citizen."

Handwritten notes from Donoghue are shown on a screen during the June 23 hearing. Donoghue said he had taken the notes during a 90-minute conversation with Trump after Trump made a fraud allegation he "had not heard" before.

Thompson swears in witnesses at the public hearing on June 21. The witnesses, from left, are Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Georgia elections official Gabriel Sterling.

Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, wipes her eyes as she testifies on June 21. She told the committee about "hateful" and "racist" threats she received via Facebook.

Bowers is hugged by Cheney after his testimony on June 21. Bowers, a Republican, defied a scheme to overturn the election results in his state, and he gave emotional testimony about the impact that had. He described "disturbing" protests outside his home, and he read a passage from his personal journal about friends who had turned on him.

Moss introduces her mother, Ruby Freeman, before testifying on June 21. Freeman is also a former elections worker, and her video testimony was played during the hearing. She said she and her daughter were targeted by Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Video of Trump is seen over the committee during the hearing on June 21.

Raffensperger watches Bowers testify on June 21.

From left, former Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone, Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges and Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn attend the hearing on June 21. They helped defend the Capitol during the attack.

Members of the media work in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building outside the hearing on June 21.

US Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, is seen at center with his hand on his chin during the June 21 hearing. Schiff played a lead role in the hearing.

Bowers delivers testimony on June 21. He said that Giuliani told him he had evidence of widespread voter fraud but "never" provided it. Bowers also said that Giuliani requested him to remove electors of President Joe Biden and replace them. "You are asking me to do something against my oath, and I will not break my oath," Bowers said he told Giuliani.

From left, Bowers, Raffensperger and Sterling arrive for the hearing on June 21.

Audio of Giuliani is played during the hearing on June 21.

Thompson arrives ahead of the hearing on June 21.

A photo of then-Vice President Mike Pence is displayed over the committee during a hearing on June 16. In the photo, Pence is speaking on the phone from a secure location during the January 6 riot. Pence did not want to be seen as fleeing the Capitol, according to testimony provided to the committee by advisers and aides who were working for him at the time.

US Reps. Cheney and Pete Aguilar listen to testimony on June 16. Much of Thursday's presentation was led by Aguilar, a Democrat from Southern California.

J. Michael Luttig, a retired judge and informal adviser to Pence, testifies to the committee on June 16. He testified that Trump attorney John Eastman's claims — that the vice president could have decided the outcome of the election at the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021 — are not supported by the Constitution and do not follow any historical precedent.

A video of Trump is played during the hearing on June 16.

John Wood, senior investigative counsel for the January 6 committee, questions witnesses on June 16.

Luttig leaves the hearing room during a break in the June 16 hearing.

Testimony from Greg Jacob, former counsel to Pence, is seen on a screen as he speaks on June 16. Jacob told the committee that Pence's legal team reviewed every election in American history as they examined whether a sitting vice president had the authority to reject Electoral College votes. "No vice president in 230 years of history had ever claimed to have that kind of authority," Jacob said.

Thompson swears in two former Pence advisers during the committee's hearing on June 16.

Cheney walks to the dais for the June 16 hearing.

Photojournalists gather at the start of the hearing on June 16.

Raskin arrives for the June 16 hearing.

Thompson and Lofgren speak to reporters after the committee's hearing on June 13. They stopped short of saying former President Trump committed crimes, arguing that the Justice Department must make that case.

Lofgren delivers remarks during the committee's hearing on June 13.

The committee listens to a video clip of former Attorney General Bill Barr during the hearing on June 13. In his closed-door deposition. Barr provided the committee with a detailed, point-by-point rebuttal of Trump's false claims about the 2020 election.

Cheney and Kinzinger are the two Republicans on the nine-member committee.

From left, conservative election attorney Benjamin Ginsberg, former US attorney BJay Pak and former Philadelphia city commissioner Al Schmidt are sworn in to testify on June 13. They all said it was clear Biden won the 2020 election and that Trump's claims of fraud were not factual.

Chris Stirewalt, a former Fox digital politics editor, testifies during the June 13 hearing. He discussed the "controversial" decision to call the state of Arizona for Biden during the 2020 presidential election. "Well, it was really controversial to our competitors who we beat so badly by making the correct call first," Stirewalt told the committee during his testimony. He said that his team "knew it would be a consequential call" because Arizona was one of the states "that mattered." He added that their team "knew Trump's chances were very small and getting smaller based on what we had seen."

Cheney talks on the phone at the Capitol on June 13.

A video of Trump is displayed over the committee during the June 13 hearing.

Members of the media work at the Capitol on June 13.

A staff member looks into the hearing room on June 13.

Lofgren gives an opening statement on June 13. She said the committee would demonstrate the 2020 election was not stolen, adding that the Trump campaign's "big lie was also a big rip-off."

Recorded testimony from former Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani is played during the June 13 hearing. The committee said it had evidence showing how Trump cast aside his legal team after his election loss and replaced them with conspiracy-pushing advisers like Giuliani. "Trump rejected the advice of his campaign experts on election night, and instead followed the course recommended by an apparently inebriated Rudy Giuliani, to just claim that he won," Cheney said in her opening statement. The panel later played a clip from Trump spokesman Jason Miller, whose said in his deposition that "the mayor was definitely intoxicated" at the White House on election night. Giuliani has denied any wrongdoing related to the efforts to overturn the election.

Members of the committee stand during a short recess on June 13.

James Goldstone, former president of ABC News and adviser to the January 6 committee, walks in a hallway before the hearing on June 13.

Raskin attends the hearing on June 13.

Thompson arrives for the June 13 hearing.

Serena Liebengood, widow of Capitol Police officer Howie Liebengood, cries as she attends the committee's hearing on June 9.

The committee is seated at the start of its public hearing on June 9. From left are Murphy, Aguilar, Schiff, Lofgren, Thompson, Cheney, Kinzinger, Raskin and Luria.

Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards embraces Sandra Garza, partner of the late Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, after testifying on June 9. Sicknick suffered strokes and died of natural causes one day after responding to the attack on January 6.

An image of a makeshift noose and gallows, seen on the Capitol grounds on January 6, is shown by the committee during its presentation on June 9. The presentation showed a now-infamous clip of Trump supporters chanting, "Hang Mike Pence." Trump had criticized the vice president for announcing that he would not overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Edwards was injured while defending the Capitol on January 6. She told the committee she witnessed "carnage" and chaos."

People gather in a park outside the Capitol to watch the hearing on June 9.

Edwards and documentary filmmaker Nick Quested are sworn in to testify on June 9. Quested was embedded with the Proud Boys and filmed them on the day of the attack.

From left, Schiff, Lofgren, Raskin and Thompson confer during a break in the first hearing.

Quested watches Edwards' testimony on June 9.

Trump is displayed on a screen during the June 9 hearing.

A sketch artist draws during the first hearing.

Cheney gives her opening remarks on June 9. Cheney said former President Trump had a "sophisticated seven-part plan" to overturn the presidential election over the course of several months. "On the morning of January 6th, President Donald Trump's intention was to remain president of the United States, despite the lawful outcome of the 2020 election and in violation of his Constitutional obligation to relinquish power," said Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming.

Former White House Senior Adviser Ivanka Trump is seen on a video screen as a clip of her testimony is played during the first hearing. In the clip, she said she accepted there was no fraud sufficient to overturn the election.

Garza, partner of the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, cries at the first hearing.

People listen to the proceedings inside the hearing room.

The House select committee is seated at the start of the hearing on June 9.

The opening hearing included video footage of the attack that had not yet been released.

People gather in Washington to watch the first hearing.

Thompson delivers his opening remarks on June 9. Thompson said the purpose of the panel's hearings is to remind Americans of "the reality" of what happened during the January 6 riot.

Video of former Attorney General Bill Barr's closed-door deposition is shown during the June 9 hearing. Barr, who resigned in December 2020, said part of the reason that he left the Trump administration was because of the false claims of fraud Trump was making.

Thompson speaks as proceedings get underway on June 9.

The committee members arrive for the June 9 hearing.

Luria gives a television interview outside the hearing room before the start of proceedings on June 9.

US Rep. Cori Bush waits to attend the start of the first hearing.

Erin Smith, widow of US Capitol Police officer Jeffrey Smith, walks with some of the men who defended the Capitol on January 6. From left are Capitol Police Harry Dunn, Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges, Smith, Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell and former Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone.

Demonstrators holds signs that say "not above the law" as they rally before the first hearing.

The US Capitol before the June 9 hearing.

Dunn's shirt carried the definition of insurrection.

Members of the media set up prior to the prime-time hearing on June 9.

US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger walks outside the hearing room on June 9.

Capitol Police officers participate in a routine security sweep on June 9.

People wait in line to attend the hearing on June 9.

Media members gather on Capitol Hill before the first hearing.

In pictures: The January 6 hearings

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Hutchinson says Trump knew he lost

Cassidy Hutchinson, the former top aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, provided new testimony to the committee relaying anecdotes of Trump acknowledging he had lost the election.

Hutchinson’s testimony had been some of the most damning against Trump during the summer hearings, as she provided detailed accounts about Trump’s actions on the day of January 6.

On Thursday, the committee showed new video deposition from Hutchinson where she spoke to Meadows about Trump’s January 2021 call where he urged the Georgia secretary of state to “find” the votes he needed to win.

“I remember looking at Mark, and I said ‘Mark, he can’t possibly think we’re going to pull this off. Like, that call was crazy.’ And he looked at me and just started shaking his head. And he’s like, ‘No, Cass, you know, he knows it’s over. He knows he lost. But we’re going to keep trying,’” Hutchinson told the committee.

Hutchinson also said that she witnessed a conversation between Meadows and Trump where he was furious the Supreme Court had rejected a lawsuit seeking to overturn the election result.

“The President said … something to the effect of, ‘I don’t want people to know we lost, Mark. This is embarrassing. Figure it out. We need to figure it out. I don’t want people to know that we lost,’” Hutchinson said.

Committee reveals new info obtained from Secret Service

In roughly three months since the last January 6 committee hearing, the panel has obtained more than 1 million records from the Secret Service, and the panel revealed some of what they learned during Thursday’s hearing.

While there are still questions surrounding erased text messages from Secret Service agents around the insurrection, the panel obtained messages and emails showing the agency receiving warnings before January 6, 2021, about the prospect of violence, as well as real-time reports of weapons in the crowd ahead of Trump’s speech at the Ellipse.

Days before January Trump’s communication adviser, Jason Miller, boasted to Meadows that he “got the base FIRED UP,” and shared a link to a pro-Trump webpage containing hundreds of threatening comments about killing lawmakers if they went ahead with certifying Joe Biden’s legitimate electoral victory, according to a new text message the panel showed Thursday.

“I got the base FIRED UP,” Miller texted Meadows on December 30, 2020, appearing to take credit for amplifying the violent rhetoric about January 6 that was circulating on the pro-Trump website The Donald dot win.

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said in Thursday’s hearing that that the Secret Service received alerts of online threats made against Vice President Mike Pence ahead of the Capitol insurrection, including that Pence would be “‘a dead man walking if he doesn’t do the right thing.’”

On January 6, one Secret Service agent texted at 12:36 p.m., according to the committee, “With so many weapons found so far; you wonder how many are unknown. Could be sporty after dark.”

Another agent responded minutes later, “No doubt. The people at the Ellipse said they are moving to the Capitol after the POTUS speech.”

Trump planned to declare victory no matter what the election results were

The committee also revealed new evidence Thursday that Trump had devised a plan, well before any votes were counted, to declare victory no matter what the election results were.

“It was a premeditated plan by the President to declare victory no matter what the actual result was,” committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren said during Thursday’s hearing. “We also interviewed Brad Parscale, President Trump’s former campaign manager. He told us he understood that President Trump planned as early as July that he would say he won the election, even if he lost,” she added.

The committee played previously unseen video from its deposition of Pence’s counsel, Greg Jacob. In the clip, Jacob describes how he and Pence’s then-chief of staff Marc Short had prepared, ahead of time, for Trump to declare victory on Election Night, regardless of the results.

After their conversation on November 3, 2020, Jacob drafted a memo to Short, which the committee said it obtained from the National Archives and presented for the first time on Thursday.

“It is essential that the Vice President not be perceived by the public as having decided questions concerning disputed electoral votes prior to the full development of all relevant facts,” the memo reads.

The committee also revealed new emails conservative legal activist Tom Fitton sent to two Trump advisers a few days before the election. One email contains a draft statement for Trump to declare victory on Election Night.

Noticeably absent

One person whose testimony was noticeably absent from Thursday’s hearing was Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Committee members interviewed Ginni Thomas last month but ultimately her testimony was not featured as part of the panel’s last hearing before the midterm election.

Despite saying for months that they wanted to hear from Thomas, members of the panel downplayed the significance of her testimony following her interview, and it was clear ahead of Thursday that she was not expected to be a central part of the hearing that was instead solely focused on Trump.

But her absence was notable considering the panel did use testimony from several other high-profile witnesses who had been interviewed since the committee’s most recent hearing earlier this summer.

And while the committee did play video from its depositions with Trump Cabinet members, the 25th Amendment was not mentioned.

This story has been updated with additional developments.