So far, top Republicans are staying quiet about the Sept. 18 protest on the Hill in defense of some Capitol riot defendantshttps://t.co/SY7awotPj8
— POLITICO (@politico) September 14, 2021
It’s all fun’n’games, until someone gets caught doing a little light treason…
… Saturday’s rally comes as some conservative lawmakers fan outrage on the right over former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen from him — rhetoric that worries some fellow Republicans, who warn that their colleagues are riling up the biggest fans of the former president. That still-simmering discord within the GOP puts party leaders in an awkward position ahead of the Sept. 18 “Justice for J6” rally on Capitol Hill, organized by a former Trump campaign aide.
So far, top Republicans are staying as quiet as possible about the Sept. 18 protest on the Hill, which has prompted police officials to re-install the Capitol security fence to safeguard against potential violence. They aren’t endorsing it — nor are they condemning it. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters Monday that out of his Republican conference, he “doesn’t think anyone is” going to attend. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not respond to a question about whether leaders should be encouraging other rank-and-file members not to attend as he headed to a briefing on the rally.
Their approach appears to be working, as no Republican lawmakers have publicly said they will attend — even some who have repeatedly and publicly claimed some Jan. 6 defendants are “political prisoners” being treated unfairly because of their political views. However, the offices of Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) — all of whom have peddled the “political prisoners” claim repeatedly — have declined multiple requests for comment about whether they plan to appear.
Amid the waiting game, some influential conservatives are trying to change the subject; Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Monday that he wouldn’t attend the rally and didn’t “know anything about it.” Others are shrugging off the question of whether Republicans should appear; Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), chair of the House Freedom Caucus, said it was “none of my business.”…
It is unclear how many people are expected to appear at the Saturday rally, with organizer Matthew Braynard insisting he is working closely with law enforcement to ensure the event does not turn violent. Some Members of the far-right extremist Proud Boys — which has had multiple members arrested for some of the more extreme acts of violence on Jan. 6 — are urging group members on message boards to skip the event, warning that the rally is a trap for them to get arrested.
Privately, Republicans grumbled about the rally as a distraction that pulls attention away from their policy-centered critiques of the Biden administration over inflation and Afghanistan. (Hawley, for his part, said “everything else is secondary” to Biden’s handling of Afghanistan.) And some in the party are taking solace that Trump has not promoted the event so far, a decision that they say would draw a crowd far greater than they expect to appear on Saturday…
They’re waiting to see if their unacknowledged leader, their voters’ GodKing, decides to rile up the rubes again… or if TFG’s current handlers manage to make the threat of immanent arrest real enough to deter him. Portraits in courage, every one!
Sequels seldom live up to the original, after all…
Early previews of Saturday fascist rally in U.S. capital of Washington compare upcoming insurrection to legendary sequels such as “Blues Brothers 2000” and “Highlander II: The Quickening.” pic.twitter.com/CFJ5zf4agx
— DPRK News Service (@DPRK_News) September 13, 2021
Tuesday Evening Open Thread: GOP ‘Leadership’, Terrorists & CowardsPost + Comments (108)