After dozens of court cases, state legislature hearings, and bumbling press conferences failed to overturn the results of the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump and his supporters pointed to January 6—the day of the joint congressional session certifying then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory—as the day they would be vindicated.
Trump, along with his allies, exerted overwhelming pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to exercise powers he didn't have and unilaterally throw out electoral votes from swing states Trump lost. Pence refused, saying that he'd only hear objections and allow them to be voted on by both chambers of Congress, as is in the Constitution.
Subsequently, a mob of pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol in a deadly failed insurrection, calling for the execution of Mike Pence for his supposed betrayal. They shattered windows, ransacked offices, beat police officers, and even trampled a fellow rioter to death.
Days ahead of the insurrection, far-right members of Congress embraced increasingly nationalist, militant rhetoric, likening the impending events of January 6 to the revolution of 1776. Among these was Congresswoman and prominent conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who posted a video of herself exiting the White House just a day before the insurrection unfolded.
Watch below.
Here's video of Marjorie Taylor Greene at the White House in late December 2020 saying she had a "great planning session for our January 6th objection. We aren't going to let this election be stolen by Joe Biden and the Democrats.\u201d Expel and arrest Greene.pic.twitter.com/oogwe20Z8K— Scott Dworkin (@Scott Dworkin) 1635129505
Greene says in the video:
"Just finished with our meetings here at the White House this afternoon. We had a great planning session for our January 6 objection. We aren't going to let this election be stolen by Joe Biden and the Democrats. President Trump won by a landslide. Call your House Reps, call your Senators from your states. We've gotta make sure they're on board and we already have a lot of people engaged."
After the riots the next day, Greene would continue in her objection to the counting of Georgia's election votes, but without support from any Republican Senators, resulting in the objection being overruled.
Though Greene's objection was constitutionally allowed, her lies that Trump won and her constant correspondence with the White House ahead of the riots has drawn national outcry as Republicans continue to downplay the insurrection.
I'm not an attorney but this sounds like an admission of guilt. \n\nNope, not moving on. Not a chance.https://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Shelby Kent-Stewart \u2122 (@Shelby Kent-Stewart \u2122) 1635138789
#LockHerUp. Did I get that right?https://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Telly Leung (@Telly Leung) 1635159165
Uh huh.\nThis kind of evidence of sitting GOP members of Congress and their complicity in January 6th isn\u2019t hard to find.https://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Kaz Weida (@Kaz Weida) 1635186204
If you can\u2019t see that Marjorie Taylor Greene helped plan the January 6th terrorist attack then you need Jewish Space Laser eye surgery.https://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— The Volatile Mermaid (Resting Witch Face) (@The Volatile Mermaid (Resting Witch Face)) 1635161173
How does a puffer get caught??? By opening its mouth!!!\nThere you go, guilty as hell!!!https://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Franktheshank808 (@Franktheshank808) 1635141571
People soon called for her arrest and removal, claiming her lies directly led to the insurrection.
Remove the traitor from office.https://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Tomb Max-hell (@Tomb Max-hell) 1635167269
Arrest them all for involuntary manslaughter #January6thInsurrectionhttps://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Danger Kitty (@Danger Kitty) 1635131732
breh. arrest her. what is so hardhttps://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Mr. Moonrise (@Mr. Moonrise) 1635166968
Why hasn't @RepMTG been arrested yet???https://twitter.com/funder/status/1452464537869897728\u00a0\u2026— Finn (@Finn) 1635256173
That arrest doesn't seem likely to occur.
