An ambassador who served in Donald Trump’s administration is taking aim at the former president, saying that he “absolutely” bears some responsibility for the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The blame placed at Trump’s feet comes as Democrats in Congress are attempting to put together a commission that would study the attack in greater depth, investigating the failures that allowed large crowds to easily breach the building while Congress was in session and finalizing the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Trump Bears Responsibility
As CNN reported, former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown spoke out about the attack this week. Brown, who served as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa under Trump, said in an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union that the attack will be a stain on Trump’s legacy.
“Absolutely, I mean he bears responsibility. I think his presidency was diminished as a result of this, and I think he’s paying a price. He’s been impeached twice. He was impeached for those actions,” Brown said.
Democrats Push For Commission
Democratic leaders have been pushing for the establishment of a commission that would study the attack on the U.S. Capitol, much as the 9/11 Commission looked into the 2001 terrorist attacks. As CNN reported, the House passed a resolution earlier in the week that would create the commission. The measure earned the support of a number of Republicans, though it appears to face a difficult road in the U.S. Senate where a key member of the GOP has come out against it.
Commission Faces Opposition
As CNN noted, the bill could face a potential filibuster from Republicans in the U.S. Senate. The measure would likely need 60 votes in order to pass, which would mean at least 10 Republicans breaking with party leadership to vote for it.
“Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday he is opposed to the bill but wouldn’t tell reporters if he’d actively whip his fellow Republicans against it,” the report noted. “Moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Wednesday changes would have to be made to the bill before she could support it.”
Brown Supports Commission
The idea of a commission sounded good to Brown, who said it only made sense to undergo a deeper investigation of exactly what took place.
“To have a commission like this to find out who was responsible, what went wrong, to make sure it never happens again, it should be a no-brainer,” he said.
“You look at what happened on 9/11 when we were attack by foreign terrorists and we wanted to find out immediately: where was the breakdown, what happened and why. Well, this is no different,” he added. “They weren’t tourists. They weren’t visiting just to have fun.”
