Trump reacts angrily to Jan 6 panel's subpoena

WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump has reacted angrily to January 6 Congressional panel's subpoena issued to him to testify before it saying the panel is a "total BUST" and termed them as "highly partisan political hacks and thugs".

In a 15-page statement issued on Friday, the former president denounced the panel as being made up of "highly partisan political Hacks and Thugs" and criticized Congress for funding the investigation into the Capitol riot despite being what he calls a "Charade and Witch Hunt".

The statement also comes after all the nine members of the January 6 committee voted unanimously to subpoena Trump to offer testimony to the panel as part of their investigation.

"The double standard of the Unselects between what has taken place on the 'RIGHT', and what has taken place with Radical Left, lawless groups such as Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and others, is startling and will never be acceptable, even to those who will be writing the history of what you have done to America," Trump said in a statement.

In his initial reaction, Donald Trump on Thursday slammed the nine-member January 6 House panel, calling it a "sham committee" after it voted unanimously to subpoena the former president to testify before it, the Washington Examiner and Independent and several other media outlets reported.

In her opening remarks, committee co-chair Liz Cheney suggested Trump will be held responsible for the events surrounding and leading up to the attack on January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol, noting that he was the "central cause" and that "none of this would have happened without him".

Following the vote, Trump took to Truth Social to ask the "Unselect Committee" why he was not asked to testify "months ago".

On Thursday, members of the House select committee investigating January 6 returned to the US Capitol and met for their first meeting in several weeks, taking both historic action as well as laying out more damning testimony.

Secret Service was aware of plans for violence on January 6, the Independent said. Emails and messages among members of the US Secret Service at least 10 days before the attack on the US Capitol reveal that the agency was well aware of violent threats and plans to occupy the halls of Congress, according to the House select committee investigating the assault.

A Secret Service field office relayed one tip sent to the FBI warning that members of the far-right nationalist gang the Proud Boys planned to march, armed, into Washington DC.

Newly released material showed the Secret Service was aware of plans for violence on January 6. Agents shared social media messages and law enforcement tips with talk of violence in the days before the Capitol attack.