- Barbara Comstock said not many Republicans would be "in the search party" if Trump went missing.
- The former congresswoman is a staunch supporter of a commission to investigate the Capitol riot.
- She said that while Republicans wanted to distance themselves, Trump's "not going to go away."
Former GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia said on Sunday that if former President Donald Trump went missing, not many Republicans would be "in the search party."
Comstock made the statement during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," where she discussed the Senate's rejection of a bill to set up an independent commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
The bill was crafted through a bipartisan deal led by Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and GOP Rep. John Katko of New York, the panel's ranking member.
The House passed the bill 252-175, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats to support the legislation.
Last Friday, a motion to advance the bill in the Senate was defeated 54-35, receiving the support of all present Democrats and six Republicans but failing to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome the filibuster.
Comstock had gone to Capitol Hill with the family of Brian Sicknick — the Capitol Police officer who died after the insurrection — along with Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone to meet with Republican senators to persuade them to support the legislation.
Read more: Democrats are already plotting political revenge for Republicans blocking the January 6 commission
The NBC host Chuck Todd pointed out the argument from GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana that an independent commission would have more credibility than a legislative panel picked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Todd suggested that if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had been in the same position, he would have opted for a congressional commission.
"Well, that was exactly the argument that we were making to the senators," Comstock said.
She added: "I understand Republicans want to get away from Donald Trump. I mean, if Donald Trump disappeared tomorrow, I don't think you'd have many Republicans in the search party. Maybe a few prosecutors, but not Republicans."
Comstock said that though Trump isn't in the rearview mirror of most Republicans, they needed an independent commission.
"They want to get away from him, but the problem is he's not going to go away," she said. "But this is not about Democrats or Republicans. It's about the country, and it's about getting to the truth, and it's about protecting the Capitol, the people who work there, and also making sure this never happens again."