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Trump supporters after the Capitol storm
Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP
On January 6, thousands of Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, killing several people.
A special committee is supposed to deal with the events of the dramatic day - and has long since become a political issue itself.
Now the dispute over the composition of the committee has escalated.
On Wednesday evening (local time), the Republican leader in the House of Representatives announced that he was withdrawing all five of his nominees.
This was Kevin McCarthy's reaction to Nancy Pelosi's decision to reject two of his nominees.
"As long as Spokeswoman Pelosi doesn't reconsider her decision and accepts all five nominees, the Republicans won't participate in this bogus trial and instead conduct their own investigation," McCarthy said.
He also accused the democrat of "abuse of power".
Pelosi, who as the majority leader of the Democrats in the house has to approve all nominations, justified her decision with the previous behavior of Jim Jordan and Jim Banks.
"In view of the committee's credibility, its pursuit of truth, and concern about the past statements and actions of these members, I have to reject your nomination," she said.
Jordan is one of the most ardent Trump supporters and repeatedly attracts attention as an agitator.
After his nomination, Banks had declared that the committee should not only investigate the attack on the Capitol, but also "hundreds of violent political riots in the past summer", for example by "left-wing extremists".
Shortly after Pelosi's decision, both had spoken out - with their typical provocations.
Banks suggested that the Democrat was probably afraid of the truth.
Jordan claimed the Democratic Party wanted to "normalize anarchy."
Republican Cheney attacks her own party
However, the panel will meet without the five McCarthy nominations.
After all, Liz Cheney has at least one Republican on the committee, so both parties are represented.
Cheney was nominated by Pelosi.
The Republican called the behavior of her party colleagues "abhorrent".
Cheney is considered controversial in her own party since she openly positioned herself against ex-President Trump and his supporters.
Because of her attitude, she had lost a leadership position within the party in May, among other things.
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