Thompson’s positive test will not affect the committee’s upcoming hearing, which is scheduled for Thursday, even if the chairman cannot attend, according to a committee spokesman. “While Speaker Thompson is disappointed with his COVID diagnosis, he directed the Select Committee to proceed with the hearing Thursday afternoon,” spokesman Tim Mulvey said in a statement. “Committee members and staff wish the President a speedy recovery.” Thursday’s hearing focuses on former President Donald Trump’s inaction during 187 critical minutes of the Jan. 6 attack. Matthew Pottinger, who served on former President Donald Trump’s National Security Council, and former Trump White House aide Sarah Matthews are expected to testify. Thompson and the committee’s vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, have played a prominent role in each of the committee’s seven hearings so far. Thursday is the commission’s last scheduled public hearing, but members have left open the possibility of more. Committee work continued Tuesday despite Thompson’s diagnosis. The panel met with former Trump White House aide Garrett Ziegler on Capitol Hill. A former aide to then-White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, Ziegler may be able to provide the committee with additional information about the circumstances surrounding a heated Oval Office meeting on December 18, 2020. This story has been updated with additional developments on Tuesday.
