Right-wing elected officials and media personalities have repeatedly dismissed the severity of the January 6 insurrection, when a mob of pro-Trump extremists, motivated by the former President's lies about the 2020 election, stormed the United States Capitol to prevent congressional certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory.
Republican lawmakers have absurdly claimed the siege wasn't violent and have even likened the deadly riots to "a normal tourist visit."
They've also continued to defend the hundreds of people arrested in connection with the riots, many of whom are still being held in confinement.
In a recent town hall appearance, far-right Congressman Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina was asked about these arrested insurrectionists.
Watch below.
At Macon County GOP event yesterday, Madison Cawthorn called January 6 rioters \u201cpolitical hostages,\u201d and spoke of trying to \u201cbust them out.\u201d Then-\nAttendee: \u201cWhen are you gonna call us to Washington again?" \nCawthorn: \u201cWe are actively working on that one.\u201dpic.twitter.com/hN96kswnNt— Aaron Fritschner (@Aaron Fritschner) 1630340859
Cawthorn said:
"Political hostages! So this is something we are trying to figure everything out about. ... The big problem is we don't actually know where all the political prisoners are. And so if we were to actually be able to go and try and bust them out — and let me tell you, the reason why they're taking these political prisoners is because they're trying to make an example, because they don't want to see the mass protests going on in Washington."
Another spectator asked when Cawthorn was "going to call us to Washington again," to which the Congressman replied:
"We are actively working on that one. We have a few plans in motion I can't make public right now, but this is something that we're working on. There are a lot of Republicans who don't want to talk about this."
Cawthorn also repeated the fantasy that Biden wasn't legitimately elected—the same lie that led to the riots in the first place.
His comments were panned across social media for embracing calls to violence.
The domestic terrorists in Congress are at it again.https://twitter.com/fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— Adam Parkhomenko (@Adam Parkhomenko) 1630342238
Inciting sedition or something. I\u2019m not a lawyer but it smells like a member of Congress is encouraging more violence.https://twitter.com/fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— Fred Wellman (@Fred Wellman) 1630345133
Please read and then consider what steps, small or big, you can take to defeat this Member of Congress and others like him in 2022.https://twitter.com/Fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— E. Colette Nelson (@E. Colette Nelson) 1630360325
Sounds like #MadisonCawthorn has been identified as a top-level Insurrectionist Leaderhttps://twitter.com/fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— KarenTheCatServant (@KarenTheCatServant) 1630361206
Some called on the FBI and the Justice Department to intervene.
Hey @FBI, @TheJusticeDept Here's another terror cell organizer openly plotting another attack on our democracy. \nWhen can you arrest him?https://twitter.com/Fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— SJinn (@SJinn) 1630365519
Hey @SecretService @FBI @TheJusticeDept \n\nMadison Cawthorn is threatening bloodshed.https://twitter.com/Fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— Semi-Bionic \ud83e\udd16 Woman (@Semi-Bionic \ud83e\udd16 Woman) 1630364057
Hi @FBI I\u2019d like to report the planning of another insurrection attempt. Please see the attached video evidence of a sitting Congressman confessing to the planning.\nTens of millions of Americans would greatly appreciate your prompt attention to this matterhttps://twitter.com/fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— Tris (@Tris) 1630357401
Somebody needs to be questioned by the .@FBI. #MadisonCawthornhttps://twitter.com/fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— Julia (@Julia) 1630342523
The @fbi has no excuse not to see it coming this time.https://twitter.com/fritschner/status/1432379499379838983\u00a0\u2026— Helen Kennedy (@Helen Kennedy) 1630344897
Cawthorn warned there would be "bloodshed" if elections "continue to be rigged," as he falsely claimed.
Nicksplat Sunburn GIF by Hey Arnold 
number one win GIF by V5MT 
Frustrated Clint Eastwood GIF 
Vegan Vegetables GIF 
Workout Flex GIF by Kræftens Bekæmpelse 
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@kaicutch/Instagram
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok
@lynnshazeen/TikTok