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Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson...

Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson takes center stage at January 6th Prime-time Hearing

By: Frank Corder - June 8, 2022

The 2nd District Congressman easily won the Democratic Primary in Tuesday’s Midterm Election.

On Tuesday, Mississippi 30-year incumbent 2nd District Democrat Congressman Bennie Thompson cruised through the Midterm Primary Election as expected, winning over 96% of the vote in the two-man race that saw roughly 44,000 voters turnout to cast a ballot.

Thompson now turns his attention to Thursday as he seeks to win the hearts and minds of Americans across the country when he will chair a hearing on the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot scheduled to be held in prime-time and shown across most major national TV networks.  It is the first in a series of hearings that are scheduled to take place in June.

As Thompson sees it, the hearings are about saving democracy, a talking point Democrats have employed throughout the committee’s work and repeated routinely across the mainstream media.

But it is well-known that Congressman Thompson dislikes, perhaps even despises, former President Donald Trump.  Thompson was a constant critic of the former President throughout his term in the White House.  The chairman openly blamed Trump for the Capitol riot on January 6th, going so far as to file a federal lawsuit accusing Trump of inciting an insurrection and conspiring with his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and extremist groups such the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, to attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 202 Presidential Election.

That lawsuit from Thompson was filed after Trump was acquitted in the Impeachment Trial in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 57-43, when Democrats failed to get the required 2/3 majority needed to convict.

Thompson dropped out of the lawsuit a few months later before Speaker Pelosi named him as the chairman of the January 6th Committee.

“In an effort to avoid even the appearance of a conflict, I have dismissed my claim in the lawsuit that I brought to address the events of January 6, 2021.  And, I will refrain from sharing information that I acquire as Chair of the Select Committee that is not already available to the public or to members of Congress,” said Congressman Thompson in the July 2021 press statement.

Thursday’s hearing is now being billed as the House committee’s unveiling of their work during their investigation into the events of that day, complete with video footage, audio recordings, and testimony obtained since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, appointed the partisan committee last year.

In addition to chairing Pelosi’s January 6th Committee, Thompson also chairs the House Homeland Security Committee.

The January 6th Committee is made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans. Those two Republicans are Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.

Speaker Pelosi rejected Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s recommended appointees to the committee and all Republicans but those two declined to participate in what some have called a witch hunt.

An increasing number of conservatives view the committee and these prime-time TV production hearings as a way for Democrats to change the narrative ahead of the Midterm Elections as more and more Americans grow displeased with the Biden Administration’s handling of the economy, foreign affairs and more.

Over the course of the January 6th Committee’s work, they have held interviews with more than 1,000 witnesses and gathered more than 100,000 pieces of evidence to make their case to the American people.

The Committee is being assisted in their prime-time TV production by a former ABC executive along with other former news reporters. Some are calling it the highest profile “blockbuster” political production in a generation.

About the Author(s)
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Frank Corder

For nearly two decades, Frank Corder has reported and offered analysis on government, public policy, elections, business and matters of faith. He is the Editor for Magnolia Tribune where he oversees the day-to-day content development. Frank’s interviews, articles, and columns have been syndicated throughout Mississippi as well as in various national publications. His resume includes appearances on the BBC, CBS News, ABC News, and Fox News, among others. Frank is a frequent analyst on radio and television, providing insight and commentary on the inner workings of the Magnolia State and beyond. During his career, Frank has interviewed government officials and candidates from City Halls to the White House, including Presidential candidates, White House officials, U.S. Senators, Congressmen, Cabinet Secretaries, and Governors. He previously hosted his own local radio and television programs and has managed private businesses in the financial, hospitality, and retail sectors. Frank has served his community as an elected City Councilman and as an Assistant/Acting City Manager. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he led the effort to plan Pascagoula's recovery and rebuilding which earned him recognition as Mississippi's Volunteer of the Year. Frank also led Pascagoula's municipal government out of a $14.5 million deficit, which the Mississippi State Auditor heralded as a model for other communities facing dire financial straits. As the president of the Pascagoula High School Quarterback Club, Frank has self-published "The Book of Pascagoula Football." He has been married for over 25 years and has two children, both of whom work in public education. Email Frank: frank@magnoliatribune.com