Supporters of President Donald Trump scale the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

If “bad faith” were a religion, it would perfectly describe the piousness of the Republican leadership’s approach to creating a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

House Democrats offered multiple concessions to Republican negotiators picked by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. But after former President Donald Trump gave the thumbs down last Tuesday night, McCarthy not only opposed the proposal but had his team working to get Republican members to turn against it. Even Rep. Greg Pence – brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, the man some in the Jan. 6 mob wanted to hang – voted no. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell went from undecided to no after Trump’s kibosh. 

Trump is still running the GOP

For the baldest political reasons, it makes sense for Republicans to oppose a Jan. 6 commission. No rational human being would argue that the attack would have happened had Trump not called his fans and followers to a rally and then sent them to the Capitol. And Trump is still running the Republican Party. Don’t believe me? Ask Liz Cheney.