Rep. Liz Cheney says she won’t allow Trump to turn Jan. 6 committee into ‘a circus’

House Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) said this week that the subpoena and possible testimony of former president Donald Trump will not turn the committee’s proceedings into “a circus.”

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Cheney said she and the rest of the committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, anticipate the former president will comply with the subpoena, but Trump himself has not yet said whether he plans to testify in front of the panel.

The New York Times recently reported that Trump had told aides privately that he would only testify in front of the Committee if it was televised live. 

Cheney also drove home the committee’s intent to remain focused and serious as it moves ahead with its probe of the attack and the leadup to January 6th.

“The committee treats this matter with great seriousness,” she said. “And we are going to proceed in terms of the questioning of the former president under oath. It may take multiple days. And it will be done with a level of rigor and discipline and seriousness that it deserves.”

Asked what the committee would do if Trump attempted to circumvent the subpoena, Cheney answered that the panel has “many, many alternatives that [it] will consider.”

She added that should the former president choose to testify but invoke the Fifth Amendment, he is expected to notify the committee in advance.

Trump’s legal team gave a response to the subpoena on Friday saying they believe the Committee has overstepped its authority in issuing a subpoena to a former president, and saying the team will explore the possibilities and make a decision in the coming days.