On Tuesday, the House Select Committee investigating the deadly failed insurrection of January 6 held its first hearing, where Capitol and D.C. Metro police officers gave harrowing testimony about their experience protecting the Capitol from the mob of pro-Trump extremists.
As the hearing was underway, far-right Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Louie Gohmert of Texas, and Paul Gosar of Arizona held a press conference outside the Justice Department to call for information on the continued detainment of some of the Capitol insurrectionists.
Like many of their Republican colleagues, the four members have repeatedly spread disinformation regarding the severity of the riots and their origins.
The presser was continuously interrupted by a literal whistleblower determined to drown out their rhetoric, but the proceedings were completely upended when a group of protesters stood behind the podium with signs critical of the representatives.
Before long, the far-right congresspeople frantically retreated.
Reps. Gaetz and Greene get run out of their own presser at the DOJ. pic.twitter.com/Jc3BTbUO05
— Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) July 27, 2021
Greene—seconds after vowing the Representatives wouldn't "back down" to activists—is seen running from activists to take shelter in a getaway car.
Gaetz—who's currently the subject of a federal investigation into his potential child sex trafficking—faced a blunt question from reporter Lauren Windsor:
"Are you a pedophile, Congressman Gaetz? Are you a pedophile?"
Gaetz didn't answer before getting into a getaway car of his own.
The chaos led to widespread mockery of the representatives on social media.
They were especially brutal to Gaetz.
The presser has yet to be rescheduled.
