Republicans keep their distance from “Justice for J6” rally

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Republicans are keeping their distance from Saturday’s “Justice for D6” rally on Capitol Hill without explicitly condemning its support for those accused of crimes related to the Jan.6 storming of Capitol Hill.

Despite several far-right House members expressing sympathy for the rioters in recent months and describing them as “political prisoners”, none said they planned to attend the rally.

Old President TrumpDonald TrumpOvernight Defense & National Security – The Pentagon’s Deadly Mistake Overnight Energy & Environment – Presented by Climate Power – Interior returns BLM headquarters to Washington France attracts ambassadors to the United States and Australia to protest the deal on the submarines said on Thursday that those accused of crimes related to January 6 were “persecuted,” but made no reference to Saturday’s event in particular.

The distance from the rally is in line with Republicans trying to avoid further discussing the attack, which was carried out by Trump supporters, and the actions that led to the chaos, including those by lawmakers from Trump and of the GOP who had encouraged the effort to reverse its electoral defeat.

Yet the Republicans’ general silence over the merits of the rally shows how loath they are to risk alienating a base that remains loyal to Trump and increasingly believe the Jan.6 attack on Capitol Hill was justified or exaggerated.

A poll released this week by the Public Religion Research Institute hints at the impetus behind the balancing act, finding that while 59% of all respondents blame white supremacist groups for the rampage – and 56% blame Trump – these numbers fall precipitously among Republicans, to 30 percent and 15 percent, respectively. In the eyes of 61% of GOP voters, in fact, liberal activists were behind the January 6 attack – a baseless narrative indeed.

“We have that element in American society that adopts violence to promote a lie,” the representative said. Zoe LofgrenZoe Ellen LofgrenSpotlight Turns to GOP’s McCarthy in Jan. 6 Inquiry Now is the time for Biden bankruptcy site reform to meet with 11 Democratic lawmakers on DACA: MORE report (D-Calif.), A member of the House select committee investigating the insurgency, told CNN this week. “And, unfortunately, we have elected political leaders and former elected political leaders who are promoting the same lies.”

At a press conference with Senate GOP leaders earlier this week, a reporter asked “what do you say to people who come here” for Saturday’s rally, citing other Republicans calling the accused rioters as prison for “political prisoners”.

The response from GOP senators was to focus on expressing confidence in law enforcement preparations, rather than the motives for the rally.

“I think they are well equipped to deal with what may or may not happen,” said the minority leader. Mitch mcconnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse will act on the debt ceiling next week. (R-Ky.).

Hosted by Matt Braynard, a former Trump campaign staffer, Saturday’s protest aims to highlight what many Trump allies see as the unfair treatment of hundreds of people arrested for their alleged actions around the riot. January 6. Braynard, who now heads Look Ahead America, a conservative rights group, says the organization opposes all forms of political violence and supports the incarceration of those who attacked police officers or destroyed property on the 6th January.

Their protest largely concerns other people who were arrested for non-violent crimes and are now treated as “political prisoners,” he said in a lengthy interview with C-SPAN on Friday.

“Historically, those people who engaged in this behavior on Capitol Hill received a slap on the wrist,” Braynard said. He cited the relatively minor fines imposed on activists who protested the Supreme Court judge’s confirmation Brett KavanaughBrett Michael Kavanaugh Senators Denounce Protest in Front of Judge Kavanaugh’s Home Why Does Harris Not Lead Charge Against Texas Abortion Law? Cori Bush Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Emergency Rent Assistance Funds READ MORE as evidence that the January 6 protesters were targeted for harsher treatment.

“There is a big disparity between the way these people are treated and these people are treated, although they adopt the exact same behavior and face the same charges,” he said. “It’s not about what they did, but what they believe, and that’s what makes them political prisoners.

Joining Braynard outside the Capitol on Saturday will be family members of some of those arrested, as well as at least two GOP candidates vying for Congress in 2022: Mike Collins, who is running to replace the outgoing representative. Jody I didThe Jody Brownlow HiceWatchdog group is seeking an ethical investigation into McCarthy’s comments on January 6. FOLLOWING (R) in Georgia, and Joe Kent, who challenges Rep. Jaime Herrera BeutlerJaime Lynn Herrera BeutlerCongress should know what federal agencies are wasting. in Washington state. Herrera Beutler was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the Jan.6 riot – a distinction that earned the ire of the former president and his supporters.

“I’m speaking at the rally for political prisoners J6 tomorrow in DC for a reason,” Kent tweeted Friday. “Constitutional rights are denied to hundreds of Americans because of their political affiliation and a narrative based on lies.”

Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill have not shown the same interest in attending.

In July, representatives of the GOP. Matt GaetzMatthew (Matt) GaetzWashington steps up security ahead of September 18 rally Police prepare for Capitol rally defending January 6 crowd Watch group seeks ethical investigation into McCarthy’s comments on January 6 (Florida.), Louie gohmertLouis (Louie) Buller Gohmert Security forces under pressure to prevent rehearsal on January 6 Washington steps up security ahead of September 18 rally Police prepare for Capitol rally defending January 6 crowd MORE (Texas), Paul GosarPaul Anthony Gosar Washington steps up security ahead of September 18 rally Police prepare for Capitol rally defending January 6 crowd Watchdog group seeks ethical investigation into McCarthy comments on January 6 (Arizona) and Marjorie Taylor GreeneMarjorie Taylor GreeneGOP’s Efforts to Minimize Danger of Increase in Riots on Capitol Hill The Memo: What Now for Anti-Trump Republicans? Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will meet Trump “soon” in Florida MORE (Ga.) Had taken up the cause, protesting in front of the Department of Justice in Washington. Gaetz, Gohmert and Greene were also denied entry to a Washington jail in an attempt to visit some of the January 6 rioters.

And in recent weeks, Representative Madison Cawthorn (RN.C.) has described the jailed rioters as “political hostages” and suggested in an interview with Smoky Mountain News that people who “saw a door open atop Capitol Hill , and they were just wandering inside “were being treated too harshly.

Still, Greene, Gohmert and Cawthorn’s assistants confirmed to The Hill that they would not be at Saturday’s rally, while Gosar and Gaetz did not telegraph their intention to attend either.

Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said on Friday he was “not aware of any elected officials who are planning to attend.”

“There were a few who were invited. To my knowledge, all of them have declined, ”Manger said at a press conference intended to project confidence in the preparations for law enforcement.

Despite expectations that Saturday’s protest will be much smaller than Trump’s rally in January that resulted in the Capitol violation, law enforcement officials – who were blinded by the attack – are leaving nothing to the chance this time. Capitol Police on Wednesday reinstalled the 7-foot security fence around the Capitol just two months after it was permanently removed. The Pentagon also announced Friday that it had approved 100 National Guard troops to serve as security reinforcements during Saturday’s event.

“There have been threats of violence associated with the events of tomorrow. We have a solid plan in place to make sure this remains peaceful and that if violence does occur, we can stop it as quickly as possible, ”Manger said.

The reluctance of sitting lawmakers to participate may reflect a new tone of caution among Republicans, who plan to topple the House in 2022 and prefer to focus on President BidenJoe BidenHouse The Democrat threatens to vote against the party’s spending bill if the HBCU does not receive more federal aid. Defense and National Security Overnight – Pentagon’s Deadly Mistake Haitians Stranded in Texas Prolong Biden’s Immigration Problems MOREon the agenda is the riot of January 6, which left several dead and around 140 police officers injured.

Perhaps the most important factor is Trump himself.

The former president has persisted since stepping down to trumpet the lie that the election was stolen. And on Thursday, he offered blunt support to those arrested for storming the Capitol on January 6, saying their incarcerations were evidence of a “two-tier justice system.” But he didn’t mention Saturday’s protest.

“Our hearts and minds are with those so unjustly persecuted in connection with the January 6 protest over the rigged presidential election,” Trump said in a statement.

Democrats quickly condemned his comments, accusing the former president of both defending the January 6 violence and tacitly encouraging his supporters to participate in it on Saturday.

“This shows that Donald Trump remains not only a threat to our democracy, but a real threat to physical security,” the representative said. Jason ravenJason CrowBiden Expresses Climate Confidence in Renewable Energy Visit After Disorderly Withdrawal From Afghanistan, Questions Remain Defense and National Security – Afghanistan’s Mental Scars MORE (D-Colo.), A former Army Ranger, told CNN this week.



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