Trump's Eagerness To Testify Before Jan. 6 Panel Reportedly Drew Flak From Legal Team: 'Absolutely F**king Not'

Former President Donald Trump reportedly told people around him that he would like to testify before the Jan.6 panel probing the Capitol riots provided it was televised. It drew severe flak.

What Happened: Trump’s eagerness to appear before the panel did not go down well with his advisers, according to a Rolling Stone report. 

“Absolutely [f**king] not,” said one of Trump’s legal advisers as a summary of the advice they gave the former president on appearing before the panel.

“It is my hope that we talked him out of it,” a person familiar with the matter told Rolling Stone. 

“The [former] president seemed receptive to our arguments against [it], but with Donald Trump, it can be hard to tell [sometimes] what has actually sunk in or stuck," the person was quoted as saying.

Why It Matters: Several Trump lawyers and political counselors have told him that any testimony under oath before the committee would be mined for potential perjury charges.

Former White House attorney, during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, Ty Cobb agreed that appearing before the panel would be a “perjury trap.”

​​“That is absolutely true…[and] Trump is uniquely susceptible to that because he is so easily provoked.”

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the vice chair of the panel, said she’s opposed to Trump turning his testimony “into a circus,” according to Rolling Stone.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said recently that Trump’s lawyers would dissuade him from showing up. She said, "I don’t think he’s man enough to show up.”

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