Donald Trump considers testifying before January 6 panel

Donald Trump is considering testifying in front of the House January 6 committee, which this week concluded a dramatic hearing establishing what it says is his culpability for the deadly Capitol attack by voting to subpoena the former president.

On Friday, sources close to Trump confirmed to the Guardian that he may choose to appear before the congressional panel. Such an appearance would set up an unprecedented, high-stakes political event.

Trump, meanwhile, issued an angry and rambling public letter to Bennie Thompson, the Mississippi Democrat who chairs the January 6 committee.

Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, rejected Republican attempts to place Trump allies on the January 6 committee, including congressmen implicated in his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, the fuel for the Capitol attack.

Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon, aides to Trump, face jail time for contempt of Congress, after refusing to cooperate with the January 6 committee.

But though the panel made clear on Thursday that it holds Trump responsible for the insurrection, he has not been held to account.

But that seems unlikely, given both his position as former president, de facto leader of the Republican party and possible 2024 presidential nominee, and the proximity of the midterm elections. If Republicans take back the House next month, as seems likely, the January 6 committee will in all probability be disbanded.

Knowing this, committee members may be hoping the subpoena draws Trump out, luring him into public testimony about his attempt to overturn an election.

Committee members have said that while they do not expect to make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, they have sought to lay out their findings in a way that may help federal investigators.

After the midterm elections, the attorney general, Merrick Garland, will have at least two more years to decide whether to indict Trump related to January 6.