Republicans Defy Trump To Back Capitol Riot Probe

• Trump supporters had stormed Congress on 6 January in a failed bid to thwart certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in November’s election.

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives has voted, with Republican support, for a commission to investigate the Capitol riot.

Thirty-five Republicans defied their party leaders and former President Donald Trump in siding with Democrats by 252-175 to establish the inquiry.

The BBC reports that Trump had urged Republicans to vote against the “Democrat trap”.

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The bill looks unlikely to pass the upper chamber. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell called it “slanted”.

The inquiry would be modelled on the commission that investigated the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.

It would establish a 10-member body, evenly split between the two main parties, that would make recommendations by the end of the year on how to prevent any repeat of the Capitol invasion.

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The vote may be seen as a loyalty test to the former president for members of his party.

All 10 of the House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in the days after the Capitol riot for incitement of insurrection were among the 35 who voted for the commission.