Months after former President Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election prompted a mob of his extremist supporters to storm the United States Capitol, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing to learn more about the delayed response to the violence on January 6.
Republican committee members continued to dismiss the severity of the violence that day, with some insisting that the insurrectionists were simply "patriots" and others defending Ashli Babbitt, the conspiracy theorist who died while trying to infiltrate the House chamber at the height of the insurrection.
But few of these dismissals stood out more than Congressman Ralph Norman's (R-SC) who questioned whether the mob was made of Trump supporters at all.
Watch below.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) on Capitol insurrectionists: \u201cI don\u2019t know who did the poll to say that they were Trump supporters.\u201dpic.twitter.com/pXKlu2OQ2W— The Recount (@The Recount) 1620839728
Norman said:
"'A mob of Trump supporters breached the steps.' I don't know who did a poll that it's Trump supporters. You had the media saying the same thing ... I don't know who did the poll to say that they were Trump supporters."
Norman is right that there was no polling of the insurrectionists to determine their political leanings, but that's largely because that data was readily available.
Before and during the riots, the outside of the Capitol was a sea of MAGA caps, Trump flags, and other pro-Trump paraphernalia.
Cell phone data shows Trump supporters made their way to the Capitol following a nearby Trump rally, where he told them explicitly to march on the Capitol. Trump supporters livestreamed their invasion of the Capitol, and even bragged about it. After the hundreds of subsequent arrests, numerous people charged said they believed they were doing the right thing because of the former President's words.
People found Norman's claim absurd.
We don't know if they were Trump supporters b/c no one polled the people who went to the Trump rally and were carrying Trump flags and Trumps signs and chanting pro-Trump slogans to see if they were Trump supporters.https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392528868100222978\u00a0\u2026— Napp Nazworth (@Napp Nazworth) 1620849900
We saw it with our own eyes! You are an embarrassment to SC. That does not need a poll, either, @RalphNormanhttps://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392528868100222978\u00a0\u2026— Helen R (@Helen R) 1620847934
Hard to say if @RalphNorman is incredibly stupid, or if he thinks his supporters are. Maybe both?https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392528868100222978\u00a0\u2026— Elliot Harris (@Elliot Harris) 1620844186
They did. They were literally ALL wearing Trump gear, waving Trump flags, and talking to everyone they could about how Trump was their god-king.https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392528868100222978\u00a0\u2026— SGF Vaccine Buzz (@SGF Vaccine Buzz) 1620843544
No poll needed. We all SAW IT ON TV. They were wearing his T-shirts\u2019 and carrying his freaking flagshttps://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392528868100222978\u00a0\u2026— momoffour#madaboutlies (@momoffour#madaboutlies) 1620842573
You\u2019re F\u2019N kidding me right?https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392528868100222978\u00a0\u2026— Huck\u2019s Mom (@Huck\u2019s Mom) 1620841518
People soon reminded him what the unrest of that day looked like.
pic.twitter.com/uZyS30ihs3— Leasha Knight (@Leasha Knight) 1620840110
How will we ever know?pic.twitter.com/RaoSRfCAKp— joedirtinthehole (@joedirtinthehole) 1620840031
https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392528868100222978\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/VweWkcI2TF— Just Another Cat Dad (@Just Another Cat Dad) 1620843413
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