(Radio Iowa) – Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines says former President Trump needs to speak with the House panel investigating what happened on January 6th of 2021.  “I think we’ve seen from the January 6th commission and the hearings that they’ve been having that the president absolutely had a hand in this,” Axne says, “and we know from the tapes that he did not step in to keep people safe as the violent mob breached the capitol.”

Trump has called the commission a show trial and he’s unlikely to comply with the subpoena the commission issued yesterday (Thursday). Trump released a letter today (Friday), saying there were no real Republicans on the commission. Republicans Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming are on the panel. Axne says the pair are patriots who are defending democracy.  “Our democracy and undermining it should not be something that’s political,” Axne says. But Axne acknowledges the subpoena could inflame partisan tensions in the country.

“Unfortunately it may,” Axne says, “but we have to get to the truth.” The January 6th Commission will be dissolved at the end of the year, just before the new congress that’s elected this November convenes in January. Axne is the only Democrat in Iowa’s congressional delegation. The five Republicans representing Iowa in the U.S. House and Senate have not commented on the January 6th Commission’s subpoena for Trump.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion will campaign in Iowa Falls with 2016 Iowa Caucus winner Ted Cruz. Cruz is on a bus tour through 17 states in support of Hinson and two dozen other G-O-P candidates.