Good Tuesday evening. In this edition: Democrats and Republicans split on Jan. 6 anniversary; and Rep. Doug LaMalfa dies, further shrinking GOP majority.
Plus, Greenland, Venezuela, briefings, special election, Conway and confirmations.
Jan. 6 Anniversary
Democrats marked the five-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack with a Hill event featuring testimony from lawmakers, former members of the House select committee, police officers and a rioter who has since broken with President Trump.
Ms. Hemphill was among nearly 1,600 rioters pardoned on the first day of President Trump's second term. She declined the pardon, served 60 days in prison, received 36 months of probation and was ordered to pay $500 in restitution.
"Accepting that pardon would be lying about what happened on January the 6th," she said. "I am guilty, and I own that guilt. I had fallen for the president's lies."
The retired addiction counselor also apologized to Winston Pingeon, a former police officer who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
"I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart for being part of the mob that put you and so many officers in danger," Ms. Hemphill told him.
As Democrats held their event, President Trump struck a defiant tone elsewhere, casting doubt on the 2020 election results and repeating claims of widespread voter fraud as he addressed House Republicans at the newly renamed "Trump–Kennedy Center."
The president also predicted Democrats would impeach him again if Republicans lose control of the House in the midterm elections.
"You got to win the midterms, because if we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be — I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me," he said. "I'll get impeached."
President Trump is the only president to have been impeached twice — in 2019 over Ukraine and in 2021 over Jan. 6 — though he was acquitted by the Senate in both cases.
"They impeached me for nothing, twice," President Trump said while celebrating the reelection losses of Republican lawmakers who voted for impeachment.
The president also briefly floated canceling the midterm elections before insisting he was not serious.
"They have the worst policy,"he said of Democrats. "How we have to even run against these people — I won't say cancel the election, they should cancel the election, because the fake news would say, 'He wants the elections canceled. He's a dictator.' They always call me a dictator."
The White House also launched a website praising President Trump's actions on Jan. 6 and placing blame on Democrats.
"The Democrats masterfully reversed reality after January 6, branding peaceful patriotic protesters as 'insurrectionists' and framing the event as a violent coup attempt orchestrated by Trump — despite no evidence of armed rebellion or intent to overthrow the government," the site reads.
"In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election, ignoring widespread irregularities, and weaponizing federal agencies to hunt down dissenters, all while Pelosi's own security lapses invited the chaos they later exploited to seize and consolidate power."
At the Democratic event, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) directly rebutted President Trump's claims that she was unprepared for the attack and rejected an offer to deploy the National Guard.
"Today, that president who incited that insurrection continues to lie about what happened that day," the former speaker said.
"On my way over here, I saw on TV that he was claiming that we didn't ask for the National Guard … For over three hours, we begged him to send the National Guard. He never did it. He took joy in not doing it."
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), a rice farmer who had represented California's 1st District since 2013, died unexpectedly Tuesday at age 65, further narrowing Republicans' already thin House majority.
The seven-term congressman suffered a medical emergency Monday night and was taken to a local hospital, where he died during a surgical procedure.
Rep. LaMalfa was a regular presence on the House floor and ranked among the chamber's most frequent speakers. He served on the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.
"I want to express our tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member, a great, great, great member, Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who passed away yesterday, as you probably have heard," President Trump said at a gathering with House Republicans.
His death leaves the House with 431 voting members: 218 Republicans, 213 Democrats, and four vacancies.
The narrow margin means Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) can afford to lose only two Republicans on any vote.
Rep. LaMalfa had planned to seek reelection in his rural northern California district, despite a new state map that made the seat more favorable to Democrats.
Under California law, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is required to call a special election to take place between 126 and 140 days after the vacancy occurs.
The White Housesaid President Trump is exploring a range of options for the U.S. to acquire Greenland on the heels of the U.S. military operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. "President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it's vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. "The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief's disposal."
Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's interim leader, said the country remained under the control of the officials who came to power under captured President Nicolas Maduro's regime, contradicting President Trump's claims that the U.S. was now in charge of the country. "The government of Venezuela runs our country," Ms. Rodriguez said. "No one else. There is no external agent governing Venezuela."
Trump administration officialsplan to brief all members of Congress about the operation in Venezuela in a classified setting on Wednesday. Senators will be briefed at 10am ET and House members at 11:30am ET. Briefers include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) announced a special election will be held on March 10 to fill seat of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), whose resignation went into effect Monday following a falling out with President Trump. More than a dozen people have thrown their names in the hat. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, a runoff election would be triggered.
George Conway, the former conservative lawyer turned fierce Trump critic, announced he will run to replace retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in New York's 12th District. Mr. Conway, the former husband of Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, launched his campaign with a messaging of opposing and impeaching President Trump, whom he calls "mendacious," "corrupt" and "criminal" in his campaign launch video.
The Senatevoted52–48 to confirm former Fox News contributor Sara Bailey to serve as director of the National Drug Control Policy Office, also known as the White House drug czar. Sen. Rand Paul (KY) was the only Republican to vote no with all Democrats. The Senate also voted53–47, along party lines, to confirm Josh Simmons as general counsel of the CIA. He currently serves as the principal deputy general counsel at the State Department.
For your radar…
The House is expected to vote Wednesday on the discharge petition to force a vote on a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN starting at 10am ET.
The House Oversight Committee hears testimony Wednesday from Minnesota state officials on the potential misuse of federal funds. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN3 at 10am ET.
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