Jan. 6 committee Chair Bennie Thompson says the U.S. came close to losing democracy

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/08/ [login to see] /jan-6-committee-members-capitol-attack-thompson
Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson is facing one of the most high profile moments in a political career spanning more than 50 years — leading this month's hearings intended to show Americans what fueled the violence of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Some who tune in to Thursday's prime-time hearing will encounter for the first time the chairman, a political leader from rural Mississippi with deep roots in civil rights activism.

"I'm a passionate believer that, in a democracy you have to follow the rule of law," Thompson told NPR. "It has nothing to do with individuals, it has nothing to do with wealth. It has nothing to do with status in the community. It's the law. The law is colorblind."