‘A Danger to Our Democracy’: AOC, Others React to Bombshell Report That GOP Members Met With Jan. 6 Planners
Rolling Stone’s bombshell report that multiple Republican members of Congress met with organizers of the Stop the Steal event preceding the Capitol insurrection has elicited outrage across the nation — and through the halls of Congress. Lawmakers have responded to the story, published Sunday night, in droves, with some Democratic representatives going so far as to push for the expulsion of any members of Congress who were involved in planning the attack on the Capitol that occurred after the rally.
“They tried to overthrow the government, they had a plan, they executed it, and they broke many laws along the way,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) tweeted shortly after the report was published. “The problem won’t naturally fade away,” he added, noting that Trump appears to be gearing up for a 2024 run at the White House. “It must be confronted.”
They tried to overthrow the government, they had a plan, they executed it, and they broke many laws along the way. And the leader of the Party is going to run again. This problem won’t naturally fade away – it must be confronted. https://t.co/b9GtTplDlJ
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) October 25, 2021
Rolling Stone engaged in extensive conversations with two people who helped plan the events of Jan. 6 and who are now communicating with the House select committee investigating Jan. 6. These people shared that multiple members of Congress were “intimately involved in planning both Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss and the Jan. 6 events that turned violent.” Those members include Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) — all of whom voted against certifying Joe Biden’s election win.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) noted on Twitter that he called out Gosar on the House floor during the attack on Jan. 6. “That’s why I screamed, ‘THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU!’ at Paul Gosar on the House floor on Jan 6 as he was undermining our democracy and his traitorous devotees were storming the Capitol,” Phillips wrote.
Multiple members called for the expulsion of any representatives who were involved in the planning of the violence that unfolded at the Capitol. (Rolling Stone’s reporting did not state that the members helped plan the actual attack on the building.)
“Any member of Congress who helped plot a terrorist attack on our nation’s Capitol must be expelled,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted on Sunday.
Any member of Congress who helped plot a terrorist attack on our nation’s capitol must be expelled.
This was a terror attack. 138 injured, almost 10 dead. Those responsible remain a danger to our democracy, our country, and human life in the vicinity of our Capitol and beyond. https://t.co/D0qLlaFjTh
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 25, 2021
Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) said the same in tweets of their own.
“Any Member of Congress who plotted with Jan. 6 terrorists must be removed from Congress,” Swalwell tweeted.
“Any Member who had knowledge of or helped plan the January 6 attack on the Capitol needs to be immediately expelled from Congress,” wrote Cicilline. “They cannot be trusted with the future of our democracy and country.”
“Anyone who aided in an attack on Congress should not be permitted to be a Member of Congress,” added Coleman. “Period.”
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) tweeted a reminder that she has introduced a resolution in the House proposing an investigation and expulsion of any members who may have helped incite the riot. “My resolution to investigate and expel the Members of Congress who helped incite the deadly insurrection on our Capitol is just waiting for a vote,” Bush wrote. “It’s inexcusable to wait any longer.”
My resolution to investigate and expel the Members of Congress who helped incite the deadly insurrection on our Capitol is just waiting for a vote.
It’s inexcusable to wait any longer.
Pass H.Res 25. https://t.co/HimDSDNc1I
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) October 25, 2021
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) kept his tweet simple. “Making sure you see this,” he wrote, tagging the FBI and Department of Justice.
Making sure you see this @FBI @TheJusticeDept https://t.co/EteCm6cDkJ
— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) October 25, 2021
Republicans have largely remained silent on the news that their colleagues helped plan the Jan. 6 events that turned violent, although Gohmert, one of the lawmakers who reportedly helped plan the events of Jan. 6, tweeted on Monday that the accusations are “baseless” and that he had nothing to do with “the planning of the really or any criminal activity on January 6.”
For the purpose of a potential defamation lawsuit against those making baseless accusations of a crime, I need to know who these persons are who are alleging that I helped. #J6 pic.twitter.com/FngvSUrD7a
— Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) October 25, 2021
Gohmert couldn’t help but push the idea that “FBI operatives” were behind the events of Jan. 6, a conspiracy theory for which there is no evidence.