Jason Van Tatenhove, former spokesperson for the far-right military group the Oath Keepers, testified on July 12 as the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack presented its findings to the public. The focus of the hearing was on extremist far-right groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers and the role they played in the Capitol insurrection.
He spoke about his view that the group hoped to become a paramilitary force. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., asked Van Tatenhove about whether the group had discussed committing violence against elected political leaders. Van Tatenhove said the Oath Keepers leader he spoke with wanted to make up a deck of cards of “key players that they wanted to take out,” similar to military cards, which Van Tatenhove did not do.
“I do fear for this next election cycle because who knows what that might bring? If a president that's willing to try to instill and encourage to whip up a civil war amongst his followers, using lies and deceit and snake oil, regardless of the human impact, what else is he going to do if he gets elected again? All bets are off at that point,” Van Tatenhove said. “And that's a scary notion.”
In the year since its creation, the committee has conducted more than 1,000 interviews, seeking critical information and documents from people witness to, or involved in, the violence that day.
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