Donald Trump will not be able to turn his testimony before the Jan. 6 Committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol into a "circus," Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney told Chuck Todd on Meet the Press on Sunday.
Last week, the committee officially subpoenaed Trump for his alleged role in the insurrection and called on him to testify next month. The New York Times reported that the former president has privately told aides that he wants to testify before the panel only if it's on live TV.
When asked if the committee would allow Trump to testify live, Cheney said, "The committee treats this matter with great seriousness, and we are going to proceed in terms of the questioning of the former president under oath.
"It may take multiple days, and it will be done with a level of rigor and discipline and seriousness that it deserves. ... He's not going to turn this into a circus.
"This isn't going to be his first debate against Joe Biden and the circus and the food fight that that became," Cheney said on Meet the Press. "This is far too serious [a] set of issues, and we've made clear exactly what his obligations are, and we are proceeding with that setout."
The subpoena sent by the committee calls on Trump to turn over documents by Nov. 4 and testify on Nov. 14.
Trump "personally orchestrated and oversaw a multi-part effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election and to obstruct the peaceful transition of power, according to the committee's subpoena letter, and they have "overwhelming evidence" to support it.
Trump also allegedly filed false information under oath and in federal court, according to the letter, and pressured his vice president, Mike Pence, to block the certification of the Electoral College votes.
Cheney said on Meet the Press that she anticipates that Trump will understand his legal obligation to comply with the subpoena, but if he decides to plead the Fifth Amendment, he needs to tell the committee ahead of time.
But refusing to comply with the subpoena could mean jail time. Steve Bannon, Trump's former strategist, refused to appear before the committee and now has to serve four months in prison.
The Jan. 6 Committee will put together a report for the Justice Department by the end of the year with criminal referrals and recommendations.