What we learned on Day 8 of the Jan. 6 hearings

Judy Woodruff:

The U.S. House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol concluded its first round of public hearings last night with a nearly three-hour presentation centered on a crucial 187 minutes on that day, featuring firsthand accounts inside the White House.

Lisa Desjardins reports.

Lisa Desjardins:

Center stage at last night's hearings about the January 6 riot, President Trump's inaction as his supporters carried it out and law enforcement feared for their lives.

Person:

Hold, they've entered the building. Hold.

Person:

Harden that door up.

Person:

If we're moving, we need to move now.

Person:

Copy.

Person:

If we lose any more time, we may have — we may lose the ability to leave.

Lisa Desjardins:

One jarring moment, listening to the Secret Service radio for help. Testimony from a Secret Service agent whose identity was protected captured the fear in the vice president's detail.

Secret Service Agent:

There was a lot of yelling, a lot of very personal calls over the radio, so it was disturbing. I don't like talking about it, but there were calls to say goodbye to family members, so on and so forth.

It was getting — for whatever the reason was on the ground, the V.P. detail thought that this was about to get very ugly.

Lisa Desjardins:

In the hearing room, lawmakers who were at the Capitol that day held on to one another and showed dismay at the footage.

The committee showed that, as the attack raged, those around Trump were urging him to call for the mob to stop. Pat Cipollone was the president's top White House lawyer.

Pat Cipollone, Former Trump White House Counsel:

I think I was pretty clear there needed to be an immediate and forceful response, statement, public statement, that people need to leave the Capitol now.

Lisa Desjardins:

Even the former president's own son Don Jr. texted White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL):

At 2:53, he wrote: "He has got to condemn this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) ASAP. The Capitol Police tweet is not enough."

Mr. Meadows replied:

"I am pushing it hard. I agree."

Lisa Desjardins:

The committee used a map to show where President Trump watched the attack live on television, from the White House Dining Room.

Former White House press aide Sarah Matthews stressed that location.

Sarah Matthews, Former Deputy White House Press Secretary:

He could have been on camera almost instantly. If he had wanted to make an address from the Oval Office, we could have assembled the White House press corps probably in a matter of minutes to get them into the Oval for him to do an on-camera address.

Lisa Desjardins:

Former Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger spoke about one of Trump's a few actions, to send out a tweet criticizing Vice President Pence.

Matthew Pottinger, Former Deputy National Security Adviser:

So the tweet looked to me like the opposite of what we really needed at that moment, which was a de-escalation. And that's why I had said earlier that it looked like fuel being poured on the fire.

So that was the moment that I decided that I was going to resign.

Lisa Desjardins:

The hearing also showed remarkable footage of the leaders at the Capitol. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer were pushing to call Congress back to session.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY):

We're not going to let these people keep us from finishing our business. So, we need you to get the building cleared.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):

So, what is the earliest that we could safely resume our proceedings in the Senate and House chambers? The earliest we could safely resume?

Lisa Desjardins:

The committee showed the video that Trump recorded three hours after learning of the attack, that he went off-script and spoke lovingly of the crowd.

Donald Trump, Former President of the United States: We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You have seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home and go home in peace.

Lisa Desjardins:

New footage showed that, the next day, as he recorded another video, Trump still refuses to accept his loss.

Donald Trump:

But this election is now over. Congress has certified the results. I don't want to say the election is over. I just want to say Congress has certified the results, without saying the election is over, OK?

Lisa Desjardins:

He was defiant again last night. The former president responded to the hearing on his social media site, TRUTH Social, again spouting falsehood and writing: "I had an election rigged and stolen from me and our country."

Overall, last night, the committee drilled down on Trump's dereliction of duty, as it called it, working to isolate him as the problem, both past and ongoing.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY):

Every American must consider this. Can a president who is willing to make the choices Donald Trump made during the violence of January 6 ever be trusted with any position of authority in our great nation again?

Rep. Adam Kinzinger:

It is a stain on our history. It is a dishonor to all those who have sacrificed and died in service of our democracy.

Lisa Desjardins:

The panel plans to resume its hearings in September.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.