Politicians Who Justified The Capitol Insurrection
Politicians Who Justified The Capitol InsurrectionSkip To Content
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Throwback To All The Politicians Who Tried To Gaslight America, As If We Didn’t Watch The Capitol Insurrection With Our Own Eyes
"You would actually think it was a normal tourist visit."
by Simrin Singh StaffLink
One year ago today, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Building to protest the 2020 election results. It was the first attack on the Capitol since The War of 1812, and more than a hundred police officers were injured protecting politicians. Several officers also lost their lives as a result of the riots.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images Many politicians condemned the events that took place, but several have defended, underplayed, justified, or denied them. Here are some of their previous comments on the Capitol Riot:
1. GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images In his comments about the insurrection, Clyde said that "it was not an insurrection, and we cannot call it that and be truthful." He added that the footage "showed people in an orderly fashion staying between the stanchions and ropes, taking videos and pictures...you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit." Rioters pushing officers through a barricade:
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images 2. GOP Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia
Sean Rayford / Getty Images Hice claimed that the insurrectionists were the real victims on Jan. 6: "It was Trump supporters who lost their lives that day, not Trump supporters who were taking the lives of others." Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and four other officers lost their lives following the January 6 attacks.
Anna Moneymaker / Pool / Getty Images 3. GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
Pool / Getty Images In an interview, Johnson said he didn't believe the event was a violent insurrection. "To say there were thousands of armed insurrectionists breaching the Capitol intent on overthrowing the government is just simply false narrative," he said. "By and large, it was peaceful protest, except for there were a number of people, basically agitators that whipped the crowd and breached the Capitol," Johnson added. "That's really the truth of what's happening here." A mob of insurrectionists breaching the Capitol Building:
Lev Radin / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images 4. GOP Rep. Paul A. Gosar of Arizona
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images Gosar said the FBI's attempts to locate and arrest insurrectionists are an act of "harassing peaceful patriots across the country." He continued, saying, "Outright propaganda and lies are being used to unleash the national security state against law-abiding U.S. citizens, especially Trump voters." An insurrectionist (who was later arrested) sitting at Nancy Pelosi's desk:
Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images 5. GOP Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina
Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Norman implied that the rioters were not incited by the former president, saying, "I don't know who did a poll to say that they were Trump supporters." Rioters waving "Trump" and "MAGA" flags at the insurrection:
Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images 6. GOP Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama
Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Brooks also claimed with no evidence that the insurrectionists were not Trump supporters. "All may not be (and likely is not) what appears," he tweeted. "Evidence growing that fascist ANTIFA orchestrated Capitol attack with clever mob control tactic." More Trump supporters at the insurrection protesting the election results:
Brent Stirton / Getty Images 7. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images Greene called the insurrection "just a riot," and proceeded to justify it, saying that "If you think about what our Declaration of Independence says, it says to overthrow tyrants." The "QAnon Shaman" at the riot:
Brent Stirton / Getty Images 8. GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images In a House floor speech after the insurrection, Gaetz said (with no evidence) that the rioters were actually left-wing activists: "They were masquerading as Trump supporters. And in fact, they were members of the violent terrorist group, Antifa." More right-wing rioters inside the Capitol building:
Brent Stirton / Getty Images 9. And finally, GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky
Pool / Getty Images Massie acknowledges that the events of January 6 were not normal, but he refuses to label them an insurrection. "I think it was a mob," he said. "They were protesting, and I don't approve of the way they protested, but it wasn't an insurrection." Insurrectionists entering the Senate Chamber:
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