Jan 6 Panel Members Issue Defiant Messages After Donald Trump Threat

Lawmakers who were on the congressional committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol have issued defiant messages after President Donald Trump claimed that pardons issued to them by Joe Biden were void.

Trump also warned the members of the former January 6 committee that they would be “subject to investigation at the highest level.”

“Your threats will not intimidate us. Or silence us,” Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

The White House and members of the former January 6 committee have been contacted for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Biden issued preemptive pardons to lawmakers and staff of the House committee that investigated the riot at the end of his term, saying it was to protect them from any possible retribution from Trump.

Trump claimed on Monday that the 11th-hour pardons issued by his predecessor were “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect” because Biden allegedly signed them using an autopen, a mechanical device used to replicate a person’s signature that presidents, including Trump, have used for decades.

But legal experts told Newsweek that the use of an autopen would not void the pardons especially since Biden’s statements made clear he authorized them. They also noted that the Constitution does not even require that pardons be issued in writing.

What To Know

Trump remains outraged about being prosecuted by the Department of Justice over his alleged role in inspiring his supporters to storm the Capitol in a bid to stop the certification of Biden’s 2020 victory, though the case was dropped after he won the 2024 election.

He has claimed the January 6 committee, led by Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and former Republican Representative Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence collected over the course of their two-year investigation, without ever providing evidence to support that claim.

In his Truth Social post claiming Biden’s pardons were void, Trump also claimed, without providing evidence, that members of the committee were “probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf” without Biden’s knowledge or consent.

Thompson said in a statement to Axios that he was “not afraid” of what he described as Trump’s “latest midnight rant.”

In an appearance on CNN on Monday, former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, who was also on the committee, urged Trump to “stop pretending like you’re tough” and “bring the charges in if you really want to do it because we will crush you in court.”

What People Are Saying

Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a statement to Axios: “I am not afraid of Trump’s latest midnight rant that has no basis in reality.

“Donald Trump was responsible for the deadly January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. That is why he raced to pardon those who beat the police who protected American democracy that day as one of his first official acts after returning to the White House.”

Senator Adam Schiff wrote on X on Monday: “The members of the Jan 6 Committee are all proud of our work. Your threats will not intimidate us. Or silence us.”

Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren wrote on X: “The members of the January 6 Select Committee did our legislative work uncovering the role Trump played in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He should be ashamed, & he is trying to erase the truth. Yet, the truth remains, & we won’t be intimidated or silenced.”

Former Representative Adam Kinzinger said on CNN: “There is one person that’s obsessed about the 6th because he still has been basically deemed guilty in the court of public opinion, and that’s Donald Trump. And he can’t handle it. He obsesses about it. So, my reaction to him is like, you know what? Then bring it. Like, stop talking about it, stop being overboast, stop pretending like you’re tough, bring the charges in if you really want to do it because we will crush you in court and it’ll make me three times more effective against you.”

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday: “The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT because they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them, but more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two-year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!”

What Happens Next

It remains unclear if a court will move to void Biden’s pardons, or whether the Department of Justice will investigate or prosecute the members of the former January 6 committee.