Jan 6 hearings latest: Liz Cheney warns of Donald Trump’s ‘domestic threat’ as Melania

Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s attempt at joining his Trumpworld compatriots in attacking House January 6 select committee witness Cassidy Hutchinson on Tuesday went awry. He posted a tweet denying allegations that he’d asked for a presidential pardon, which was worded in a way that seemed to confirm the claim.

“The January 6 Witch Hunt Cabal has now exceeded even its prior fraudulent,” he said. “The last witness was a reckless liar. Contrary to her false testimony she was never present when I asked for a pardon,” he wrote.

Mr Giuliani, who is currently under federal investigation for work he did on Mr Trump’s behalf in Ukraine, later added that he told former president Donald Trump that he “did not want or need” a presidential pardon.

And confusing things even further, he then deleted the tweet.

Andrew Feinberg has the story.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the U.S. is enhancing its force posture in Europe for the long haul to bolster regional security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Meeting with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg in Madrid for the opening of the alliance’s annual leaders summit, Biden says “NATO is strong and united, and the steps we’re taking during this summit, we’re going to further augment our collective strength.”

Biden says the U.S. is establishing a permanent headquarters in Poland, sending two additional F-35 fighter jet squadrons to the UK and will send more “air defense and other capabilities” in Germany and Italy.

“Today I’m announcing the United States will enhance our force posture in Europe and respond to the changing security environment as well as strengthening our collective security,” Biden said, detailing the announcements.

“She gave a picture of a Mad King,” the legendary Watergate journalist told CNN on Tuesday night.

“The whole idea is now absolutely confirmed, proven, he is a criminal and a seditious president of the United States.”

Ms Hutchinson, a senior aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, gave a first-hand account of the run-up to the US Capitol riots on Tuesday at a surprise hearing of the select committee probing the insurrection.

Bevan Hurley has the story.

Perhaps not Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Her attortney said the conservative activist has “serious concerns” about testifying before the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.

Mark Paoletta sent an eight-page letter, obtained by The Daily Caller, to the committee as it has sought her testimony. Mr Paoletta specifically cited how Supreme Court Justices have been subjected to threats after a draft opinion of the court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

“I would also note that this has been a particularly stressful time as the Thomases have been subjected to an avalanche of death threats and other abuse by the unprecedented assault on the conservative Supreme Court Justices and their families”, the letter said.

Eric Garcia had this report.

Justice Stephen Breyer will retire this week from the Supreme Court, he told Joe Biden in a letter on Wedesday.

Taking his place will be Ketanji Brown Jackson, who will be the first Black woman on the high court.

Will the Biden appointment change the direction of the conservative court full of Trump nominees? Probably not so much.

After hearing a string of controversial public testimonies before the Jan 6 panel, Liz Cheney will return to Wyoming to debate Republican primary challengers.

Ms Cheney will face Donald Trump-endorsed opponent Harriet Hageman among others where she is likely to draw criticism for the explosive testimonies detailing Mr Trump’s irate and violent behaviour.

The primaries debate on Thursday will be hosted by Wyoming PBS in Sheridan and it will be closed to the public for security reasons. It is to also prevent people from disrupting the event, the station’s general manager Terry Dugas said in a statement. “There are regular reports in the media of political figures and public servants being assaulted. Even in Wyoming, political figures receive death threats,” Mr Dugas said.

Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon has requested that his trial over contempt of Congress charges should be delayed by several months, arguing that publicity from the House select committee’s hearing into 6 January may influence jurors’ opinions.

“Public impact is not limited to the hearings themselves, but to the media coverage that magnified the hearings. In Washington, DC, where trial will take place – and where the acts alleged in the Indictment took place – every major media outlet treated the hearings as a top news story,” the attorneys wrote in the court filing on Wednesday.

It said “every person accused of a crime is guaranteed a fair trial”, requesting his trial to be moved from 18 July to 25 October.

“Those broadcasts have been repackaged and re-broadcast in countless forms, creating a saturation of the information sources available to Washington, DC residents,” the filing said.

“Under the circumstances, a continuance is warranted – to allow the effects of the Select Committee hearing coverage a chance to subside.”

Almost half of Americans believe that the former president Donald Trump should be criminally charged for his role in the attack on the US capitol last year on 6 January.

According to the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 48 per cent of adults polled to say that the former president should be held accountable and face charges while 32 per cent said he should not be charged.

Other 20 per cent did not have an opinion on the topic.

The poll was conducted before the five public hearings by the House committee but before Tuesday’s surprise hearing featuring former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.