Donald Trump has been ordered to give evidence to an inquiry about the deadly US Capitol riots.
Donald Trump will be ordered to give evidence about the US Capitol riots
The congressional panel unanimously voted to subpoena the former president and Trump will now be compelled to testify to the committee about the events of 6 January 2021 - which saw five people killed and 140 police officers injured after Trump supporters attacked the Capitol Building in a bid to keep him in the White House following his 2020 election defeat.
The committee has been arguing in its hearings that Trump was directly involved in the attempts to overturn the election result by inciting his supporters to storm the building as Joe Biden's victory was set to be formalised.
Trump had denied the accusations and described the committee as a "total bust" on his Truth Social platform.
The panel is unable to bring legal charges against Trump but it could decide to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department should they choose.
The committee's vice chair Liz Cheney said: "We must seek the testimony under oath of January 6th’s central player.
"We are obligated to seek answers directly from the man who set this all in motion. And every American is entitled to those answers."
A statement from Trump read: "Why didn't the Unselect Committee ask me to testify months ago?
"Why did they wait until the very end, the final moments of their last meeting?
"Because the Committee is a total 'BUST' that has only served to further divide our country, which, by the way, is doing very badly - A laughing stock all over the world?"
Trump is expected to fight the subpoena and decline the order to testify.
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