West Central Reporter

When the January 6 Commission held "public hearings" on national television last week, seeking to convince Americans that citizen protests that day at the U.S. Capitol were "coordinated terrorism" and "an insurrection" encouraged by President Donald Trump, Republicans were unanimous in their disdain.

They included even U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville), an original Commission architect who drafted, sponsored and introduced a bill to create a "National Commission On U.S. Capitol Attack."

Davis earned plaudits from Democrats and "Never Trump" Republicans like U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) for his bill.

Davis, Cheney and Kinzinger were among 35 Republican members of the U.S. House who voted with 217 Democrats to create the commission.

“It’s critical this investigation remains bipartisan, but with full force. This commission would evaluate the federal government’s response through hearings and subpoenaing witnesses to get the answers Americans deserve," Davis said.

But sixteen months later, even Davis says he is now having second thoughts.

Facing a contested primary election from fellow U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (D-Oakland), who herself calls it a "sham" and opposed the commission from the start, Davis has called for an "investigation" into the investigation he once demanded, calling it a "circus."

"When Republicans once again hold the gavel and I am Chairman of the House Administration Committee, one of our first priorities is going to be launching a full investigation into Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Select Committee’s circus," he said.

Miller is endorsed by Trump, who is traveling to Quincy on June 25 to hold a rally for her, opposing Davis, who insists he supports the former president.

"I'm proud of my conservative record of working with Trump when he was in office," he said.

"Liz is a good friend"

But in his call for an investigation, Davis didn't single out the behavior of fierce Trump critics and commission members Cheney or Kinzinger.

Both are accused of abusing Republican witnesses, misrepresenting their testimony and even having them arrested and put in jail.

Fox News' Tucker Carlson has called Cheney and Kinzinger "obedient little quislings" of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi running "Washington's latest partisan inquisition."

"This is not the way civilized countries operate. Just because you control the White House and both houses of Congress, does not mean you get to throw your political opponents behind bars. That's not what we do in America," Carlson said.

Carlson said the commission's televised hearings presented "two straight hours of unedited campaign propaganda scripted by the Democratic Party" and called it a "show trial."

"It was not a hearing. At a hearing, dissent is permitted. The other side can speak. Evidence is presented. Evidence is not censored or deceptively edited. That's not allowed," Carlson said. "We saw last night was definitely not a hearing. It was a show trial."

Davis has remained supportive of Cheney, voting against removing her from GOP party leadership.

"Liz is a good friend," Davis said.

Among Illinois GOP members of Congress, Kinzinger has been the most anti-Trump, calling him a "con artist" and "unfit to be commander in chief" as far back as 2016.

Davis' career has featured what the Bloomington Pantagraph once called "on-and-off support of Trump."

"(Davis) endorsed Trump, then un-endorsed him," wrote Pantagraph columnist Steve Vogel. "He also visibly resigned from Trump's agriculture advisory committee."

Davis is running in the newly-drawn Illinois 15th congressional district, which includes Adams, Hancock, Henderson, Warren, McDonough, Schuyler, Brown, Pike, Cass, Scott, Fulton, Mason and Morgan Counties in Western Illinois.

The Illinois GOP primary election is on Tues. June 28.