ICYMI: MAGA Extremists In Congress Downplaying Jan. 6 Violence While Simultaneously Embracing Radical Narratives

Politico: House GOP flirts with Jan. 6 extremism

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over the weekend, Politico reported that GOP lawmakers and Republican House leadership are avoiding discussing the heinous reality of the violence during the Jan. 6 insurrection while coincidentally embracing extremist conspiracy theories and entertaining the party’s far-right faction’s demands.

Highlights from the article include:

Politico, House GOP flirts with Jan. 6 extremism

“At times, GOP lawmakers insist they’re uninterested in relitigating an attack that is political poison for the party outside of deep-red areas. But at other times, some Republicans have stoked narratives that falsely pin blame for the attack on police, Democrats or far-left agitators — or downplay the violence at the Capitol. The latter approach has seen a noticeable uptick of late.”

“While most admit privately, if not publicly, that Jan. 6 was the work of a violent mob, they have a political calculus to consider: A not-insignificant faction of their party is hellbent on rewriting the history of the day.”

“McCarthy encapsulates the half-hearted embrace. He angered some allies on the right this year by defending a Capitol Police officer’s decision to shoot a Jan. 6 rioter who was attempting to breach a room adjacent to the House chamber. But he’s also provided exclusive access to thousands of hours of security footage to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who’s used the film to demean and distort police officers’ actions.”

“Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) did recently release a wider report that accused the FBI of artificially conflating the number of Jan. 6-related investigations. The report and a subsequent hearing also included testimony from whistleblowers who lost their security clearances due to improper actions related to Jan. 6.”

“The Oversight Committee organized a tour of the D.C. jail to investigate two-year-old claims of “disparate treatment” of the approximately two dozen Jan. 6-related detainees — nearly all of whom were incarcerated or detained for violence against police. But Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) didn’t attend the tour, which was led by panel member Greene.”

To learn more or to speak with a House Accountability War Room spokesperson, contact [email protected].
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