In the months since former President Donald Trump's election lies sparked a deadly failed insurrection against the United States Capitol, Republican elected officials and media personalities have leapt to defend the rioters and dismiss the severity of the devastating day.
The House Select Committee investigating the riots has subpoenaed some of the former President's allies to further scrutinize Trump's actions before and during the riots. These actions have been the subject of widespread criticism, as it took Trump hours to finally condemn the riots and encourage the participants to go home, noting that he loved them and that they were very special.
Despite hours of footage showing rioters shatter windows, ransack offices, beat police officers, and call for the execution of any lawmaker perceived as disloyal to Trump, conservatives continue to paint them as non-threatening. Notably, Congressman Andrew Clyde of Georgia pointed to a video of rioters walking through the Capitol (which was closed to the public), claiming it resembled a "normal tourist visit."
Far-right Fox News host and white nationalist Tucker Carlson was the latest to amplify these lies to his millions of viewers in a recent broadcast.
Watch below.
Tucker: They don\u2019t look like terrorists. They look like touristspic.twitter.com/KQTrTaQDmz— Acyn (@Acyn) 1632442440
Carlson said:
"You don't see people hiding bombs or using bayonets or firing weapons, trying to take over the country in insurrection. You see people walking around and taking pictures. They don't look like terrorists, they look like tourists, and all of them—by the way—are Americans."
What Carlson didn't show was the rioters who broke windows to infiltrate the Capitol, or who were shot after trying to force their way into the Speakers' gallery, or who tried to crush a an officer in a door frame, or who trampled one of their fellow rioters to death.
People were quick to call Carlson out for his delusional characterization.
I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s possible to treat your audience as if they\u2019re any stupider than by showing them a video clip of when the insurrectionists were milling around as if that somehow means they didn\u2019t *also* bludgeon cops, seek to assassinate the VP, etc.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1441194168492040195\u00a0\u2026— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1632442792
They broke into the building which is not a thing tourists do.pic.twitter.com/d58eMb9ikq— Molly Jong-Fast (@Molly Jong-Fast) 1632444153
Pretty sure Tucker would not say the same thing if Black Lives Matter protesters had overrun police and stormed Capitol Hill, delaying Congress' duty to certify the presidential election because they were upset their preferred candidate didn't win.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1441194168492040195\u00a0\u2026— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1632442800
Really looking forward to visiting the Louvre in Paris one day to break in and smash things up...you know, the usual tourist-y type thing.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1441194168492040195\u00a0\u2026— Myles Davies (@Myles Davies) 1632447259
"Your honor, the prosecution has shown you video evidence that my client clearly robbed the store. What they failed to show were the CCTV recordings from the day before where my client WASN'T robbing the store. This proves he is innocent!"https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1441194168492040195\u00a0\u2026— Lu\u037dif\u0258r (@Lu\u037dif\u0258r) 1632473037
Yes, those tourists always break windows and destroy doors and assault police officers. All just part of the DC experience.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1441194168492040195\u00a0\u2026— DEFEAT THE LIES- VOTE BLUE 2022 (@DEFEAT THE LIES- VOTE BLUE 2022) 1632495369
Others brought receipts.
Facts, Truth: Da fuq u say. https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1441194168492040195\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/bajcsLbMGE— Evan Shapiro (@Evan Shapiro) 1632483012
pic.twitter.com/wijHmSZKrg— Mrs. Wile E \ud83d\udc89 \ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 #JusticeMatters (@Mrs. Wile E \ud83d\udc89 \ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 #JusticeMatters) 1632448521
Should we tell him!?! https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1441194168492040195\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/OFJPIrXKCU— American Citizen (@American Citizen) 1632452585
For his part, Trump continues to defend the rioters' actions during the siege of the Capitol.
