Jules Witcover, syndicated columnist

WASHINGTON — At the end of last week, Donald Trump’s concerted effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and turn our democratic country into a banana republic again dominated the news.

After nine long public hearings, Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican and co-chair of the House select committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol, concluded that Trump was and is “a clear and present danger” to our democratic self-government and must be purged from our purged from our political system.

In the select committee hearing Thursday, new videotape was released showing congressional leaders energetically trying to organize defense of the besieged Capitol, placing calls to the secretary of the Army and acting attorney general to implore them to do their jobs and quell the insurrection.

At one point in the video, Pelosi reacted to news that Trump was dissuaded from coming to the Capitol to join the melee. “I hope he comes,” she said. “I want to punch him out. This is my moment. I’ve been waiting for this, for trespassing on the Capitol grounds. I’m gonna punch him out, and I’m gonna go to jail, and I’m gonna be happy”

Such is her impatience with Trump’s antics that she expresses concern whether the National Guard has been called up. “If they stop the proceedings,” she warns, “they will have succeeded in stopping the validation of the President of the United States. We will have totally failed.”

Pelosi and other prominent members of Congress were subsequently taken to nearby Fort McNair for safety reasons. Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer frantically sought the assistance of national guard units, but that the Pentagon had declined to help.

Pelosi telephoned Vice President Mike Pence, who was sequestered inside the Capitol and told him: “I worry about your being at the Capitol. Don’t let anybody know where you are.”

Meanwhile, Trump eventually told the rioters to go home, saying: “This was a fraudulent election, but you can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special.”

In a surprise move, the House select committee investigating the insurrection at the Capitol has issued a subpoena to Trump to discuss his role in the episode that has become the centerpiece in the whole attack on the American elections process.

It is far from certain that he will comply or will say anything, given the Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination. In any event, the stage is now set for another divisive chapter in the political saga of Donald Trump.

If only an old traditional conservative of moderate ilk of the departed John McCain or Bob Dole were still around, there might be hope that the Grand Old Party might be stirred to lift the current pall cast on it by Trumpism.

But there seems to be no place for wishful thinking as long as one such dictatorial man retains his iron grip.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jules Witcover’s latest book is “The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power,” published by Smithsonian Books. You can respond to this column at juleswitcover@comcast.net.