Trump calls on GOP to reject Jan. 6 commission unless it also examines violence in other cities

Former President Donald Trump called Tuesday for congressional Republicans to reject establishing a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, saying that the discussion should be dropped unless riots and violence in other U.S. cities would also examined.

"Republicans in the House and Senate should not approve the Democrat trap of the January 6 Commission. It is just more partisan unfairness and unless the murders, riots, and fire bombings in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, and New York are also going to be studied, this discussion should be ended immediately. Republicans must get much tougher and much smarter, and stop being used by the Radical Left. Hopefully, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy are listening!" Trump said.

The House is expected to vote Wednesday on legislation that would establish a commission to probe into the Jan. 6 incident. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday released a statement saying that he does not support the legislation.

"Finally, the renewed focus by Democrats to now stand up an additional commission ignores the political violence that has struck American cities, a Republican Congressional baseball practice, and, most recently, the deadly attack on Capitol Police on April 2, 2021," McCarthy said. "The presence of this political violence in American society cannot be tolerated and it cannot be overlooked. I have communicated this to our Democrat colleagues for months and its omission is deeply concerning.

"Given the political misdirections that have marred this process, given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker's shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation," McCarthy said.