Two congressional hearings on Capitol Hill Thursday will explore cases of domestic terrorism and the growing threat it poses in the U.S.
In the House of Representatives, the Oversight and Reform Committee will host two senior Trump administration officials who plan to defend their actions during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller plans to say he stands behind every decision he made that day.
In prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press, Miller says he was concerned before the insurrection that sending troops to the building could fan fears of a military coup and cause a repeat of the Vietnam-era shootings at Kent State that killed four students.
Former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen will also testify before the House Oversight Committee.
Meanwhile, in a hearing held in the Senate by the Appropriations Committee will examine the more general threat posed the rise in domestic extremism poses to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas are expected to participate in that hearing.
In March, the New York Times reported that an intelligence report delivered to Congress warned of the rising threat of domestic terrorism from militias and white supremacists in the U.S.
While there were several reports of violence from left-wing groups and antifacists in 2020, an October report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) found that the majority of domestic terror attacks were connected to far-right groups.
Wednesday’s hearings will take place at the Capitol just months after thousands of Trump supporters stormed the building in deadly riots in an attempt to stop the electoral college certification of now-President Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election.
