George Will: GOP won't investigate Jan. 6 because of the 'terror it feels for its own voters'

George Will revealed an alarming reason for the Republican Party's opposition to investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The conservative columnist appeared on ABC News' "This Week," where he told the roundtable participants that the bipartisan commission to investigate the causes of the deadly riot was controversial among Republicans for one reason.

"We have something new in American history," Will said. "We have a political party defined by the terror it feels for its own voters. That's the Republican Party right now."

Donald Trump's supporters stormed into the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn the election results, and Will said GOP lawmakers were afraid of their undying loyalty to the twice-impeached one-term president.

"Every elected official is frightened of his voters," he said, "therefore doesn't respect his voters and doesn't like his voters and is afraid that a vote for this would be seen as an insult to the 45th president."

Will said the riot was under investigation by law enforcement and journalists, so much of the truth will come out about the deadly assault, but he wanted a commission to memorialize the event as an American tragedy.

"I would like to see January 6th burned into the American mind as firmly as 9/11 because it was that scale of a shock to the system," Will said. "I think there will be a commission, but it is controversial for that reason."

"I'd Like To See January 6 Burned Into The American Mind As Firmly As 9/11"

"I'd Like To See January 6 Burned Into The American Mind As Firmly As 9/11"www.realclearpolitics.com

George Will said on ABC's "This Week" roundtable that the Capitol riot on January 6 deserves to be "burned into the American mind as firmly as 9/11, because it was that scale of a shock to the system." GEORGE WILL: Well, it's controversial for one reason. We have something new in American history. We have a political party defined by the terror it feels for its own voters. That's the Republican Party right now. Every elected official is frightened of his voters, therefore doesn't respect his voters and doesn't like his voters and is afraid that a vote for this would be seen as an insult to the 45th president. There's no reason -- I mean, McConnell has a point. There are going to be lots of investigations. Journalists are going to go through this. There are 450-some criminal charges being brought with 100 more to come, and there's going to be lots of information about this. I would like to see January 6th burned into the American mind as firmly as 9/11 because it was that scale of a shock to the system. I think there will be a commission, but it is controversial for that reason.