We knew that Donald Trump personally inspired and incited the violent, right-wing terror attack and coup attempt on the Capitol last week. We knew that so many of his Republican sycophants helped him out by spreading conspiracy theories and promising to object to the Electoral College for delusional, non-existent reasons. And now we’re learning that not only did Republicans speak at rallies and make public calls for disobedience, some of them may have actually helped plan the intimate details of the riot.
Tonight, NJ Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) said on a live stream with constituents that she saw Republicans actually assisting the terrorists before they broke into the Capitol:
But after laying out her many reasons for seeking Trump's removal, she set her sights on congressional colleagues who, she said, abetted his attempt to overturn the results of the election and undermine democracy through a violent mob.
"I'm going to see they are held accountable, and if necessary, ensure that they don't serve in Congress," she said, speaking sedately, but severely.
Sherrill did not specify whether the "groups" were visibly staunch adherents of President Trump's, nor did she detail what she described as "a reconnaissance," a term that hearkens back to Sherrill's prior military service and refers to an exploratory mission for the purpose of gaining enemy information.
Sherill isn’t a Republican who likes to play army — she's a decorated Navy vet. She wouldn’t use those words lightly. She’s a moderate Democrat, too, not given to hyperbole. For her to make these statements, she’s got to be pretty certain.
Sherrill isn’t the only person who says that Republican members of Congress helped plan the terror attack. Conservative activist Ali Alexander has alleged that far-right Reps. Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks, and Paul Gosar were all involved in riling up angry QAnon and MAGA maniacs to storm the Capitol. Check out this chilling video and then read this:
Alexander reiterated the claim of collaborating with Biggs, Gosar, and Brooks a second time, using almost identical language in a December 29 livestream similarly provided by Paladino, who has tracked Alexander. “I’m the guy who came up with the idea of January 6 when I was talking with Congressman Gosar, Congressman Andy Biggs, and Congressman Mo Brooks. So we’re the four guys who came up with a January 6 event — #DoNotCertify — and it was to build momentum and pressure, and then on the day change hearts and minds of congresspeoples who weren’t yet decided, or saw everyone outside and said, ‘I can’t be on the other side of that mob,’” Alexander said a week before the event he predicted would bring more than a million people to Washington, D.C.
Right now, Democrats are dealing with impeaching Donald Trump, but they can’t let these other terrorist Republicans off easy. And the GOP is really underlining that fact, as a number of their lunatic brethren spent Tuesday pushing past cops and refusing to comply with the metal detectors at the Capitol. For people who scream “Blue Lives Matter,” they sure don’t seem to care that their antics got cops killed or that they’re pushing past and assaulting them during their hissy fits.
They shouldn’t even be allowed to enter the building, let alone be a member of Congress — these people have committed sedition and not only endangered their Congressional colleagues, but already given three of them COVID-19. Democrats need to expel them ASAP because nothing will stop them from doing this again otherwise.
And to be clear, it’s not just members of Congress. Here is a list (that I’m continuing to update) of Republican state and local lawmakers who were at the rallies before the coup and, in some cases, at the Capitol as it happened:
- WV Del. Derrick Evans:
- TN Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (at the rallies):
- AZ Rep. Mark Finchem (posted photos outside Capitol)
- AZ Rep. Anthony Kern (posted this)
- AK Rep. David Eastman and MO Rep. Justin Hill (went to DC for the event but didn’t participate in the riot)
- NV Assemblywoman Annie Black (marched to Capitol)
- VA State Sen. Amanda Chase (Gubernatorial candidate, Dems demanding her resignation)
- IL Rep. Chris Miller (appeared on video at the Capitol, talking about a “great culture war”)
- Sweet Home, OR City Council member Angelita Sanchez
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