The House select committee investigating events around the Jan. 6 insurrection has issued a subpoena to documentary filmmaker Alex Holder. The subpoena, first noted by Politico, reveals that Holder and his crew were apparently given broad access to Donald Trump, his staff, and his campaign team to create a documentary about Trump’s reelection effort.
Among recordings being sought is “any raw footage” that Holder and his team may have taken on Jan. 6; raw footage of interviews with Trump, his adult children, Jared Kushner, and Mike Pence; and any footage in which Trump or members of his team discuss election fraud.
The turning point in the Watergate investigation was when White House counsel John Dean told Senate investigators that he suspected there was taped evidence of Richard Nixon’s involvement in the burglary and cover-up. A few weeks later, presidential aide Alexander Butterfield confirmed that a taping system existed, and the trap door for Nixon’s exit opened wide. In Nixon’s case, it was his roaring paranoia that caused him to install a taping system to record White House discussions. It seems only appropriate that what could put Trump down for good is his monstrous ego.
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When someone has as big an ego as Trump, it makes complete sense that they would want everything recorded. And when someone is as incompetent as Trump, it seems they may not be too concerned about just who they’ve invited to put a camera on their every action.
It appears that Holder and his documentary crew began filming at Trump campaign rallies in September 2020, and were given increased access at some later date. Whether Holder actually has raw footage from Jan. 6 that provides new insights into events on that day isn’t yet clear, but Holder is said to be “cooperating fully” with the committee.
A search shows that Managing Director Alex Holder at ROGO Productions in the U.K. was reportedly working on “an unprecedented feature documentary on the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election,” so it seems likely this is the Holder in the subpoena.
If so, his past credits would seem to make him an odd choice for a Trump documentarian. Holder was the producer of the film Keep Out, in which “an anti-Semitic far-right politician” abandons many of his views after finding out he has a Jewish heritage and begins studying with a rabbi. Holder was also the producer of an “observational documentary” series in which his team followed around “Bad Boy Chiller Crew” … who might best be thought of as the U.K. version of Jackass, except they also sing.
On second thought … antisemitic far-right politician … jackass. Seems like the perfect mix to prepare for doing a Trump documentary.
We talk to expert Brandi Buchman about everything you need to know for the Jan. 6 committee, hearings, and investigation on Daily Kos' The Brief podcast