January 6 Pelosi’s Fault or Pelosi’s? // (John Hinderaker)
I haven’t paid much attention the January 6, 2021, demonstration at Washington because it wasn’t one of the 50 most destructive U.S. riots in 12 months. It wasn’t the worst riot in Washington, nor was it the second most destructive.
Minneapolis is the place to be if you want to witness a violent riot. The Minneapolis rioters were not arrested and kept in solitary confinement for over a year. They were finally tried and sentenced for…not being violent. Because the Democratic Party approved their riot.
The most notable thing about the January 6 event wasn’t that a few hundred partisans, plus an unknown number FBI agents, were sufficiently educated about the election to besiege Capitol. It was the shocking failure of security to allow them in that was most notable. One entrance was opened by Capitol guards, who apparently welcomed large numbers of protesters. They stayed between the velvet rope lines and took selfies. This is how I believe most of the protesters who entered Capitol got there. At least one criminal defendant was acquitted because he believed he was being invited to the Capitol as a tourist.
Ashli Babbitt was the only one who was actually killed by the protesters, despite the fact that none of them were armed.
Now, the report of the House Republicans on January 6th is out. It focuses on the inexplicable lack of security at Capitol. I haven’t had the time to read it. Those who have should comment via comments. The Daily Wire provides a summary of the report and comments.
Pelosi and the Democratic leadership were closely involved in security decisions. This excluded Republican lawmakers from key meetings related to House security. The report also noted that Democratic leadership expressed widespread concern over “optics,” the early deployment of the U.S. National Guard to protect the grounds.
According to long-standing reports, President Trump asked D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for security to be stepped up in advance of the January 6 protest. But Bowser refused. Bowser was in charge D.C. law enforcement. Pelosi was in charge Capitol security.
Steven Sund, former chief of Capitol Police, resigned following the riot and said that the House speaker turned down six requests for preemptive deployments of the National Guard before January 6.
Sund also testified that Paul Irving, then-House Sergeant of Arms, said that “optics” was the reason for not sending the National Guard in.
Pelosi stated that she had no power over the Capitol Police on February 9, 2022.
The report states that “This is false.” “Documents provided to us by the House Sergeant of Arms show that [Irving] performed his duties in clear deference towards the Speaker, her staff and other Democratic staff.
You can find more information at the following link. The January 6 photo op, in which there was almost no actual violence other than the shooting Ashli Babbitt, was caused by incompetence by the Democratic officials responsible for Capitol security. Or did they see the political benefits that could be derived from describing the protest as an “insurrection?” We will likely never know.
