Capitol riot hearings opening, focused on extremists, Trump

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection is set to unveil as-yet-unreleased video, audio and a mass of evidence in its prime-time hearing. Thursday's session will also show the chilling backstory as defeated President Donald Trump tried to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. The panel will warn that the deadly siege put U.S. democracy at risk. Live testimony is expected from a police officer who was pummeled in the riot and from a documentary filmmaker tracking extremist Proud Boys leading the melee. There will also be recorded accounts of Trump’s aides and family members. The yearlong investigation is intended to stand as a public record for history.