‘He is unfit for any office’

Yesterday, the House Select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol held its final public meeting, naming former President Donald Trump as the “central cause” of the insurrection. The panel outlined four criminal statutes it determined were violated by Trump and others, and have referred their evidence to the Department of Justice. While the magnitude of the bipartisan committee’s findings and report is historic, it remains to be seen whether criminal charges will be brought forth and Trump is finally held legally accountable for his incitement on January 6, 2021. As we are further removed from that fateful day, the court of public opinion has cooled off. Many Americans have placed their focus elsewhere, and the appetite for justice, while it still exists, is no longer a raging inferno but rather a smoldering flame among the principled silent majority. For those of you holding onto hope that justice will be served, I thank you. The truth is, a slow burn to justice is still justice. Similar to how we have not given up hope in our democracy, we must not give up faith in the DOJ and its leaders’ ability to do their job. They must send a clear message that orchestrating an attempt to upend the electoral process and overthrow American democracy will not be tolerated, and those involved will not be given a free pass. The DOJ has a chance to make its own historic move and ensure that the world and future generations know authoritarianism is not welcome in the United States of America. —Mary Anna Mancuso, Political Strategist

Ed. Note: This is the last issue of The Topline for 2022, as our team will be on holiday leave. We wish you all a joyous holiday season and a very happy New Year! We will return on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. See you then.

• Ukraine's Zelensky preparing to visit D.C. on Wednesday —Associated Press

• U.S. Senate to launch debate on $1.66 trillion government funding bill —Reuters

• Biden White House unveils homeless plan amid crisis in LA, NYC —USA Today

• New York Republican George Santos’ résumé called into question —The New York Times

• Judge allows Kari Lake's election lawsuit to proceed in part —NBC News

And that’s a wrap 

And what a wrap. The House select committee asked federal prosecutors yesterday to charge Donald Trump with four crimes for his role in sparking the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The request marked the first time in history that Congress has referred a former president for criminal prosecution. The request does not compel federal prosecutors to act, but comes as a special counsel is overseeing two federal probes of Trump. The specific charges recommended by the panel are: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to defraud the United States, making false statements, and aiding or inciting an insurrection. They are all felonies. —Reuters

• Hicks brings the heat. In previous testimony made public for the first time yesterday, former White House aide Hope Hicks said Trump shrugged off concerns from advisers and officials that his claims of election fraud could damage his legacy. Trump “said something along the lines of, ‘Nobody will care about my legacy if I lose, so that won’t matter. The only thing that matters is winning,’” Hicks said in the recorded interview. —The Hill

• Liz lights him up. In her statement, the committee’s vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, pointed to Trump’s failure to take action for hours after the insurrection had begun, despite pleas from aides, the news media, and family members. “In addition to being unlawful, as described in our report, this was an utter moral failure and a clear dereliction of duty,” she said. “No man who would behave that way at that moment in time can ever serve in any position of authority in our nation again. He is unfit for any office.” —The Independent

• “The entire nation knows who is responsible for that day.” Cheney and her fellow Republican committee member, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, may have a few Republicans on their side this time. In his strongest condemnation of Trump since February 2021, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the panel interviewed “credible” witnesses and added to the historical record in a substantial way. Now McConnell and his allies are saying it’s up to Attorney General Merrick Garland or DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith to investigate or indict Trump. Indeed. —The Hill

MORE: The political consequences of the Jan. 6 committee's criminal referrals of Trump —NPR

O’Brien: Prosecution is imperative 

“Presidents are not allowed to engineer coups, and they don’t exist beyond the reach of the law—even if they are wealthy, powerful, and much beloved by their political supporters. The Supreme Court affirmed that Trump’s tax returns are likely to see the light of day for that very reason, but financial transparency is just table stakes in all of this. How presidents wield the powers of their office, and the degree to which they honor democracy, are more pivotal matters. In that context, the Jan. 6 committee’s work—and the challenges its members have placed before law enforcement and voters—is as much about rooting out Trumpism as it is about calling its progenitor to account. The country is fortunate the committee rose to this occasion. Others should take up the mantle.” —Timothy O’Brien in The Washington Post

Timothy O’Brien is the senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion and the author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.”

MORE: Liz Cheney talks about democracy at Crystal Bridges —Axios

Biden’s border imbroglio

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has temporarily blocked the Biden Administration from ending the pandemic-era Title 42 immigration policy, which allows officials to expel migrants over concerns about public health risks. The ruling is the result of an emergency appeal filed yesterday by 19 conservative states. A lower court previously ordered President Biden to end Title 42 expulsions by tomorrow. The decision comes as Biden faces increasing criticism for not visiting the southern border states, which are already strained. He met with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso yesterday to discuss efforts to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S., and is also expected to travel to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador next month. —USA Today

MORE: Massive amounts of deadly fentanyl seized in United States in 2022, DEA says —The Washington Post

Focus on Afghanistan

Or shall we say refocus? The August 2021 U.S. pullout from Afghanistan after 20 years of war was a low point of President Biden’s administration. And with good reason—heartbreaking scenes of chaos at Kabul’s airport, reports of Afghans falling to their deaths from departing planes, and the tragic news that 13 U.S. service members were killed by a suicide bombing deeply disturbed Americans. The White House braced for withering congressional inquiries, but it never had to face one from an empowered opposition—until now.

• Worse than Hunter. While much attention is focused on Republicans’ plans to investigate Biden’s son Hunter, an Afghanistan probe could prove more emotionally difficult and politically damaging, especially if it gears up as Biden launches his reelection campaign. The White House can dismiss an investigation into Hunter Biden as a partisan witch hunt, but even Democrats concede that Congress has a right to scrutinize a troubled military action that resulted in American and Afghan deaths.

• No bombshells expected. White House officials take some solace from the fact that lawmakers on both sides have already thoroughly scrutinized the Afghan withdrawal and released reports about it. Top administration officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have previously testified about the pullout.

• Nevertheless… An investigation led by House Republicans who chair committees and wield subpoena power is a different matter, and GOP lawmakers have made it clear that Afghanistan will be a top investigative target. Stay tuned. —The Washington Post

MORE: Taliban releases two Americans detained in Afghanistan —The Washington Post

McManus: For democracy, 2022 is ending a little better than it began

“[S]ome of the world's democracies appear to have found a second wind. Extreme right-wing parties have lost in France and Germany, although they won in Italy and Sweden. Brazil's autocratic President Jair Bolsonaro lost his job in a well-conducted national election; he challenged the result in court and lost again. And U.S. voters delivered an unexpectedly clear message in last month's midterm elections, rejecting candidates who embraced the election denialism of former President Donald Trump. … But these battles are a long way from over. Making democracy work is a struggle that remains to be won.” —Doyle McManus in Baker City Herald

Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. 

MORE: Democracy struck back against authoritarianism in 2022 —Foreign Policy

Mayanja: Young people can save democracy—but they need our help

“For centuries, politics and economics have largely been the purview of elite aging men and a few women. These elites have often assumed young people are nonpolitical and incapable of civic and political engagement. But youth are fighting for democracy around the world… Many youth lack political experience and knowledge. They need to be guided and empowered with civic and political education. But we must also listen to them.” —Evelyn Namakula Mayanja in The Conversation

Evelyn Namakula Mayanja is an assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies at Carleton University.

MORE: Why did near record-high numbers of young people vote in the midterms? —Governing

Since Kevin McCarthy is unlikely to be elected Speaker of the House when the new House is constituted, and since Democrats are equally unlikely to elect a Democrat member to the position, perhaps this is an opportune time for House Democrats to take a cue from their Utah brethren and nominate Elizabeth Cheney for Speaker. The Speaker does not need to be a House member, and she would be in a position to select honorable members to House committees. The services of an honorable Republican as the next in line in the presidential succession could do both the country and the Republican Party some good, if the latter doesn't disintegrate on its own. —Steve J., Pennsylvania

Mr. Searby, I sure hope and pray the Forward Party “tribe” becomes a major centrist political force in our country. Unfortunately, I believe the center is actually two tribes, split right at the middle point by the abortion issue. Unless the leadership of the Forward Party can miraculously find some common ground to unite the center on this issue, I fear it is doomed to failure. —Bob H., Georgia

As you gather with friends and family during this holiday season, my fervent wish is that you spend that precious time together discussing not the political, but the personal...

Uncle Steve believes Teddy Roosevelt should be sandblasted off Mount Rushmore and replaced with Donald Trump?

Aunt Gloria thinks the Catholic Church should fast-track Joe Biden for sainthood, while he's still alive?

Not now. 

I'll instead be inflicting the story of my two-year-old grandson and namesake, who can apparently hear the sound of a sanitation truck from several miles away, and rushes to the window, or out the door to watch the garbagemen remove every bag and bushel. And they know him and wave to him, and he waves back. 

I'm pretty sure his mother hopes he'll attend Stanford University, but I think right now he'd only go there if he could major in "refuse removal.”

Happy New Year. January 6th is only a few weeks away. And I feel it will be a real...Epiphany.  —Jim V., New York

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Renew America Foundation.