Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn provided a fact check to Florida GOP Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis about the proven, documented, extensive planning by right-wing hate groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys leading up to the Capitol riot and insurrection on January 6, 2021.
Pandering once again to White Christian nationalists, DeSantis made several false statements on Russell Brand's Stay Free podcast. CNN's Jim Acosta asked Capitol Police officer Dunn to listen to DeSantis' claims and provide his feedback as a person who was at the United States Capitol Building on January 6.
You can watch Dunn's reaction to DeSantis' lies about the events from January 6 here:
DeSantis claimed the Capitol riot on January 6 was "not an insurrection."
He went on to claim things just got out of hand.
"It was not an insurrection."
"These are people that were there to attend a rally, and then they were there to protest."
"Now it devolved, it devolved into a riot, but the idea that this was a plan to somehow overthrow the government of the United States is not true."
He further stated:
"It ended up devolving in ways that were unfortunate, of course, but to say that they were seditionists is just wrong."
CNN host Jim Acosta responded to DeSantis' assertion, addressing his guest Harry Dunn:
"Actually, he's wrong there because members of the Oath Keepers were convicted on charges of sedition."
"He was not there, obviously you were, how do you respond to that?"
Dunn's response was matter of fact.
"You know, actually, yeah."
"He's wrong."
He continued:
"I was specifically involved in that [crimanal court] case..."
"Yes, members of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys have been convicted of seditious conspiracy."
"So unless he's saying that the government was wrong, was the jury of their peers wrong? Unless he's saying that, then his statement is 100% false."
He acknowledged not everyone was necessarily there intending sedition, but that doesn't change the fact some were.
"I can understand him having an opinion and saying that not everybody there may have been there to overthrow the government. You can have that opinion; that's fine."
"But to come out and say that it wasn't [sedition], then you're wrong Mr. DeSantis."
People appreciated Dunn's honesty and willingness to publicly state what happened on January 6.
They were also livid at DeSantis' attempt to pretend it wasn't an insurrection to overthrow the government because Trump lost the election.
Dunn also cautioned a repeat of the January 6 riot is entirely possible.
When Acosta asked Dunn if he thought it could happen again, Dunn said he did.
He cited the insufficient efforts to deter similar actions.
"Yeah, there’s been no deterrents put in place. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. There have been some deterrents that have been put in place."
He also brought up Donald Trump's continuous thinly-veiled threats in reference to possible outcomes of his current criminal trials and the fervent support from his MAGA minions fanbase.
"But I mean, just look at, like you just said, Donald Trump’s last words about it’s dangerous to go down this route."
"So, yeah, it could happen again because you have a a group of individuals like you have an audience for him and for what happened on January 6th."
"So, yeah, I believe it can happen again."
While an attempt to overthrow the government might have seemed like something out of a dystopian fiction novel 3 years ago, the reality is that it happened.
And it could happen again.
