House Republicans are setting up a new select subcommittee on January 6, chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), to “continue Congress’ investigation” into the Capitol attack. But here’s the thing the original bipartisan January 6 Select Committee already conducted a full investigation. They issued subpoenas, interviewed over a thousand witnesses, reviewed millions of documents, and released a detailed final report with extensive findings.
So why now?
This isn’t about uncovering new facts. It’s about rewriting the narrative. Republicans have long criticized the original committee as biased, and this new effort gives them a platform to recast the events of that day, downplaying Trump’s role and focusing instead on supposed “security failures.” It also helps muddy the waters around the original committee’s conclusions, creating confusion and doubt ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Loudermilk, in particular, isn’t new to this. During the 118th Congress, he led a months-long GOP subcommittee investigation that released reports in March and December 2024. Those reports were designed to critique the original January 6 Committee, accusing it of suppressing exculpatory evidence and targeting political enemies. The December report even called for a criminal investigation into former committee vice chair Liz Cheney. It wasn’t about finding new answers, it was about undermining the legitimacy of the original investigation.
And let’s not forget Loudermilk himself was scrutinized for leading “Capitol tours” on January 5, 2021, tours that were later flagged by members of the original committee as potentially suspicious. Putting him in charge of the new subcommittee isn’t just ironic; it’s strategic. This is less about accountability and more about damage control, protecting political allies and reframing January 6 on their terms.
Source