Friday marks two years because the January 6 Capitol riot, when President Donald Trump incited hundreds of supporters to violently storm Congress, trying to overturn the 2020 election. The assault on the Capitol briefly shut down Congress as lawmakers fled for his or her security from the mob, which included members of the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and different violent extremist teams. Two years later, a part of Congress has been successfully shut down once more, this time as a result of a bunch of far-right Republicans, together with many who supported the January 6 riot, have blocked Republican Chief Kevin McCarthy’s try and develop into Home speaker. We communicate to Andy Campbell, senior editor at HuffPost and writer of We Are Proud Boys: How a Proper-Wing Road Gang Ushered In a New Period of American Extremism, because the Home speaker vote drags on and the Proud Boys face trial for seditious conspiracy over their involvement within the riot.
TRANSCRIPT
It is a rush transcript. Copy is probably not in its closing type.
AMY GOODMAN: At present marks two years because the January sixth Capitol riot, when President Donald Trump incited hundreds of supporters to violently storm Congress in an try and overturn the 2020 election. The assault on the Capitol briefly shut down Congress as lawmakers fled for his or her security from the mob, which included members of the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and different violent extremist teams, lots of them armed.
Two years later, a part of Congress has been successfully shut down once more, this time as a result of a bunch of far-right Republicans, together with many who supported the January sixth riot, have blocked Republican Chief Kevin McCarthy’s try and develop into Home speaker. This implies no member of the Home of Representatives may be sworn in. Over the previous three days, the Home has held 11 votes to decide on a speaker. McCarthy has failed every time to win the wanted 218 votes to develop into speaker, regardless of making quite a few concessions to his critics within the so-called Freedom Caucus. That is now the longest speaker election since 1859, simply earlier than the Civil Battle.
In the meantime, President Biden is making ready to offer a serious speech at present marking the second anniversary of the January sixth riot. He may also award Presidential Residents Medals to 12 individuals who responded to the riot and Trump’s assaults on democracy after the 2020 election — amongst them, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, a mother-daughter pair of election staff from Georgia who acquired demise threats and torrents of on-line abuse from Trump supporters. One other honoree shall be former Washington, D.C., police officer Michael Fanone, who was crushed and electrocuted with a Taser by the right-wing mob. Fanone spoke Thursday and made the hyperlink between the January sixth riot and the congressional chaos taking part in out at present.
MICHAEL FANONE: But when I might assure one factor in regards to the new Home majority, it’s this: That is just the start. This sort of chaos will occur each single day within the Home, as among the most excessive politicians our nation has ever seen maintain our democracy hostage. I ought to know. Tomorrow marks two years because the day I nearly died defending the Capitol from individuals who thought overthrowing the federal government was a good suggestion. The occasions of that day felt like a wake-up name for me and plenty of others, that political violence is actual. The worst half is that our elected leaders allowed this to occur.
And but, this week, individuals who inspired and even attended the riot are actually taking their locations as leaders within the new Home majority — folks like Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene, who mentioned insurrectionists would have received on January sixth if she had been concerned, or Consultant Matt Gaetz, who inspired voters to arm themselves on the polls.
AMY GOODMAN: That was former Washington, D.C., police officer Michael Fanone. On Thursday, the accomplice of the deceased Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died at some point after responding to the riot, sued Donald Trump and two of the rioters who attacked Sicknick, for his wrongful demise. Brian Sicknick died after struggling two strokes; the health worker mentioned the occasions of January sixth “performed a task in his situation.”
Biden may also honor Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards, who suffered a mind harm after being crushed by rioters. She testified earlier than the January sixth Home choose committee in June.
CAROLINE EDWARDS: After I fell behind that line, and I noticed — I can simply bear in mind my breath catching in my throat, as a result of what I noticed was only a conflict scene. It was one thing like I had seen out of the films. I couldn’t consider my eyes. There have been officers on the bottom. You already know, they have been bleeding. They have been throwing up. They have been — you understand, that they had — I imply, I noticed buddies with blood throughout their faces. I used to be slipping in folks’s blood. You already know, I used to be catching folks as they fell. You already know, I used to be — it was carnage. It was chaos. I can’t — I can’t even describe what I noticed.
AMY GOODMAN: The second anniversary of the January sixth riot comes as 5 members of the far-right group Proud Boys are on trial for seditious conspiracy, opening arguments anticipated subsequent week.
We’re joined now by Andy Campbell, senior editor at HuffPost and the writer of We Are Proud Boys: How a Proper-Wing Road Gang Ushered In a New Period of American Extremism.
Andy, welcome again to Democracy Now! It’s nice to have you ever with us. So, at present is the second anniversary. Two years in the past at present, the violent mob attacked the Capitol. And it’s so attention-grabbing, as they stopped congressional proceedings then, for a time, that at present, two years later, we’re seeing the Home paralyzed. No member of the Home of Representatives may be sworn in, the brand new ones or the outdated ones. Nobody will get categorised briefings — nothing — due to what’s taking place right here. Are you able to draw a parallel between who was concerned two years in the past and who’s concerned at present?
ANDY CAMPBELL: Positive. And thanks, Amy, for having me on once more.
Look, we’re seeing a GOP that’s hoist by its personal petard. I imply, it is a get together that has constructed its id round nationalism, round bigotry, round political violence, and notably round trolling, not round coverage essentially. And so, now you could have these 20 holdouts who’re that directive personified. You’ve got folks like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene. And you’ve got Paul Gosar, an avowed form of white nationalist character who friends round with extremists and goes on — goes to white nationalist conferences to talk. And so you could have these very excessive far-right voices throwing a wrench within the spokes, and that is precisely what the MAGA get together has constructed for themselves. And so, they’re type of seeing the results of their very own actions when these holdouts are type of holding Congress hostage.
However what they’re doing is that they’re, you understand, displaying energy. The very far-right, very racist, very loud and standard troll wing of the GOP has form of been constructing this parallel energy construction alongside the GOP for years underneath Trump. And now with this four-vote majority that the Republicans have within the Home, they’re capable of train that energy by holding the speaker hostage right here.
And so, it’s attention-grabbing that that is taking place on the anniversary of January 6, as a result of those self same people who find themselves holding Congress hostage now are the identical individuals who helped foment the riot and who, after the actual fact, nonetheless solid doubt on the 2020 election. A lot of them are Trump loyalists and election deniers and voted to overturn the election. And so, what we’re seeing is that the spirit of January 6 remains to be very a lot alive, and we’re seeing it play out within the halls of Congress at present.
AMY GOODMAN: So, if you happen to can speak about, because you wrote the e-book We Are Proud Boys, the connection between the pro-insurrectionist congressmembers and the Proud Boys? And speak about who they’re. However I needed to ask you in regards to the people who find themselves main this motion proper now. I imply, you could have, what, Matt Gaetz, the congressman from Florida, who’s underneath investigation for underage intercourse trafficking. You’ve obtained Lauren Boebert from — she ran a restaurant in, what, Rifle, Colorado, referred to as Shooters Grill. It’s been shut down as a result of the house owners of the constructing wouldn’t renew her lease. She inspired her waiters to overtly carry weapons as they served their prospects. And now they’ve eliminated magnetometers — this was one of many calls for of Boebert and the others on this ultraconservative so-called Freedom Caucus — from the Home. She had initially — I feel it’s the rationale why Home Speaker, on the time, Nancy Pelosi had put up magnetometers — mentioned she was going to hold a Glock onto the ground of the Home. Trying on the New York Submit, they said she refused to say Tuesday if she plans to convey a gun into the Home of Representatives as authorities eliminated Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s magnetometers from the entrances. Undergo these folks one after the other, and speak about their connection to Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and what occurred two years in the past at present.
ANDY CAMPBELL: Positive. I imply, Lauren Boebert is form of main the cost right here on this ultra-far-right group of holdouts. You already know, she additionally referred to as Ilhan Omar a terrorist. I imply, if you happen to attempt to take a look at Boebert’s insurance policies, they’re few and much between. Lots of these guys need to push very nationalist coverage. They need to push the anti-woke agenda. I feel they need to criminalize medical doctors who give gender-affirming care. So, these are form of merciless insurance policies, if you happen to look actually onerous.
However most of all, these are form of bigoted trolls, very linked to the riot. You’ve got Paul Gosar of Arizona, who, like I mentioned, went on to talk at a white nationalist convention two years operating, alongside Marjorie Taylor Greene. He mentioned at one level that he fomented the revolution on January 6. You’ve got Matt Gaetz, who has pushed white supremacist conspiracy theories in regards to the substitute of white males and has additionally had Proud Boys work safety at his occasions over time. And so, you could have — these characters are linked to the riot in the way in which that they consider it was justified, or not less than consider that the election was stolen.
After which, the Proud Boys are these foot troopers that act on behalf of the GOP’s grievances. And so, whereas the Boeberts and Gaetzes and Marjorie Taylor Greenes of America are pushing, you understand, anti-LGBTQ sentiment, anti-immigrant sentiment, the Proud Boys are mobilizing on these grievances. And positively, we all know that dozens of Proud Boys joined lots of of different extremists to make January 6 occur. And so, there’s completely a connection there between the folks sitting there within the Home at present and the Proud Boys. And, you understand, I feel it reveals that what we’re taking a look at taking place on the market isn’t — like, Boebert isn’t making an attempt to make some actual coverage adjustments occur at present. She’s making an attempt to indicate energy and present that this small group of ultra-far-right insurrectionists can wield energy within the Republican Celebration.
And the Proud Boys, being these foot troopers, are sitting in courtroom at present. The jury is being chosen for his or her seditious conspiracy trial. And what’s attention-grabbing about that trial is that we’re going to be taught extra about their connections to the GOP main as much as January 6, as a result of there are a variety of Proud Boys who’ve already pleaded responsible, and they are going to be testifying in opposition to their very own in that seditious conspiracy trial. So we might be taught extra about their connections to folks like Roger Stone, Trump’s prime confidant, who counts the chief of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, as considered one of his buddies and mentees. We might be taught extra in regards to the safety that they did for sure members of Congress. And we might be taught extra about their connection to Trump’s inside circle. So, that is going to be an enormous trial, and it’s going to have large implications for the GOP going ahead.
AMY GOODMAN: So, inform us who the Proud Boys are, who Enrique Tarrio and the not less than 4 different Proud Boys who’re on trial are.
ANDY CAMPBELL: Proper. So, the Proud Boys are a far-right road gang that have been launched in late 2016, early 2017. They have been created on the far-right discuss present of Gavin McInnes, who was additionally the co-founder of Vice Media. And he constructed them to mainly mobilize on Trump and the GOP’s grievances and go on the market and do what crusty outdated Republicans can’t do, and struggle folks on the street, based mostly on what the GOP is complaining about. And so, on any given day, the criticism may change. Typically it’s BLM, typically it’s antifa, typically it’s LGBTQ. Proper now it’s very a lot LGBTQ. And typically it’s the election. And so they have mobilized over time, time and again, based mostly on these grievances.
Now, there are 5 Proud Boys on trial for seditious conspiracy. The Justice Division believes that that they had a hand not solely in making the riot occur on the day, however planning it main up. Trump, throughout a debate in 2020, mentioned, “Proud Boys, stand again, stand by.” And there’s some debate over what he meant by that, however the Proud Boys instantly took it as marching orders. One of many guys on trial, Joe Biggs, posted a weblog titled “The Second Civil Battle Is Coming.” He mentioned, “Clear your weapons, get ammo, and be prepared, as a result of it’s about to get actually dangerous.” Enrique Tarrio began elevating funds, amassing weapons, amassing folks, recruiting. He mentioned — he informed me, in an interview, that he had by no means gotten so many recruiting calls than within the moments after Trump mentioned, “Stand again, stand by,” at that debate. So that they have been gearing up for January 6, which they noticed as their closing stand for Trump. And so they have been doing what they do greatest, which is amassing all of those folks, you understand, totally different extremists from throughout the nation, polling them, telling them to indicate up on January 6 for Donald Trump.
After which, after all, we all know from the January 6 committee’s reviews and the convictions which have already occurred, that after the plan was in place, as soon as the riot started, Trump did completely nothing to cease the mob, and, in reality, incited them all through the day to proceed on this parade of violence. The Justice —
AMY GOODMAN: I needed to go to YouTube video created by Vic Berger again in 2018, which options Gavin McInnes, the founding father of the Proud Boys, discussing the group’s origins, in addition to calling for violence within the streets.
GAVIN McINNES: I began this gang referred to as the Proud Boys. And —
JOE ROGAN: The Proud Boys?
GAVIN McINNES: The Proud Boys.
JOE ROGAN: What’s — what’s Proud Boys about?
GAVIN McINNES: We’ll kill you. That’s the Proud Boys, in a nutshell. We’ll kill you. We glance good. We appear delicate. We’ve got “boys” in our title. However like Invoice the Butcher and the Bowery Boys, we’ll assassinate you. Now, a part of the rationale I agreed to do the discuss is as a result of I’m allowed to convey all my guys, and we will struggle our means in and struggle our means out.
Beating the [bleep] our of those folks, I feel it’s our job to do it.
PROUD BOY: [bleep] you, mom [bleep]!
GAVIN McINNES: And the cops’, to show a blind eye.
AMY GOODMAN: So, if you happen to can speak about McInnes and in addition this newest headline this week, NYPD dealing with new backlash after officers escorted members of the far-right Proud Boys to a subway station, apparently serving to them evade their fares, after they sought to disrupt Drag Story Hour, a well-liked studying occasion for youngsters, at a Queens library final yr? You already know, you could have them cracking down on fare evasion, flooding subway stations with police, however they’re escorting the Proud Boys?
ANDY CAMPBELL: Proper, proper. So, you understand, who you heard proper there’s Gavin McInnes. That man you simply heard is anticipated to probably be a personality witness for his Proud Boys at their sedition trial. So, you’ll be able to see what their ideology is. Their ideology is political violence. He put political violence of their guidelines set. And positively the misogyny and anti-LGBTQ and racist sentiment is inside their tenets. And so, he type of created that worldview for the Proud Boys and unleashed them on the world.
However, such as you mentioned, with this incident in New York, the Proud Boys have proven resiliency time and time once more, regardless of being concerned in all types of home extremism occasions. January 6, and the entire lots of of prosecutions that we’ve seen following that, has performed nearly nothing to tamp down our street-level political violent extremist sect. I imply, the Proud Boys are mobilizing at present at speedy clip. You’ve got Tucker Carlson on Fox Information complaining about Drag Queen Story Hour, and the Proud Boys are going out on the street and harassing and attacking Drag Queen Story Hours. This isn’t simply in New York; it’s all throughout the nation, at public libraries and wherever they’ve drag occasions.
AMY GOODMAN: Properly, I do know, Andy, you’re headed right down to Washington, D.C., to cowl this seditious conspiracy trial of the Proud Boys, and we hope to have you ever again on. Andy Campbell, senior editor at HuffPost, writer of We Are Proud Boys: How a Proper-Wing Road Gang Ushered In a New Period of American Extremism.
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