Movie ‘Capitol Punishment’ Tells Stories You Won’t Hear From Jan. 6 Panel

In the course of the month of June, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., plan to carry six public hearings on the occasions that befell on Jan. 6. Two of them are even scheduled throughout primetime TV in an effort by Democrats to maximise their try to border what occurred that day on the U.S. Capitol.

However there’s one other aspect to the story that you simply received’t hear from the likes of Reps. Bennie Thompson, Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, or different members of the Home choose committee. They decided way back who guilty and what narrative to inform.

Now, due to a brand new documentary known as “Capitol Punishment,” People are capable of hear tales from the individuals who had been there on Jan. 6—in their very own phrases and the ordeals they’ve confronted since that day.

Becoming a member of me on “The Every day Sign Podcast” are two individuals who made the film, actor Nick Searcy and director Chris Burgard. Hearken to the total present or learn a calmly edited transcript under.

Rob Bluey: Let’s begin at first. Let’s return to that day on Jan. 6. What was your expertise in Washington, D.C., like on that day?

Nick Searcy: A part of the rationale we wished to make the film is that Chris and I had been each there and we had been in other places. And our expertise on that day was so completely different from what the media was displaying us.

We noticed folks, a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals, largest crowd I’ve ever seen. And most of them had been singing hymns and saying the Pledge of Allegiance and waving flags. And I noticed folks of all races, all creeds. It was a really completely satisfied, joyful time, actually.

After which because the day went on and after the speech was over, I personally noticed the police shifting barricades and permitting folks to enter the Capitol. So the issues that we noticed on tv, that it was a number of hundred crazed, right-wing, Trump-supporting white supremacists, was not something like what I noticed once I was there.

Chris Burgard: The distinction in what we noticed that day versus what was on the information was so dramatic that we simply couldn’t simply sit by and watch a day in historical past and the federal government be stolen.

I had been in Central America throughout tried regime change beforehand, and my bells and whistles had been going off, particularly when Nick known as me and stated, “They only moved the barricades. They’re letting folks within the Capitol.”

I simply stated to my spouse, I stated, “Look—”. We had been nonetheless marching right down to the Capitol. Nick was forward of us. I stated to my spouse, I stated, “Have a look at all these peaceable photos. Have a look at this, over one million folks right here. And there’s no cameras. That leads me to imagine that there’s going to be an orchestrated occasion on the finish of this. And that’s the agendas that they need to run with.”

And when Nick known as simply at the moment and stated, “Look, they’re shifting the bike racks. They’re letting folks in,” I regarded to my spouse and I stated, “I bought unhealthy deja vu. And I’m afraid somebody’s going to die at this time.” And that’s precisely what it was.

It was only a day of orchestrated occasions that anyone that knew what they had been searching for noticed it. I imply, we noticed folks altering from Antifa black-block into MAGA garments.

These identical folks had been making an attempt to get us to assault the police, the Capitol Police. We stated, “No.” And after we went to the FBI that was on the bottom and stated, “Hey, you’ve bought unhealthy guys right here making an attempt to start out violence and recruit others to violence. Would you like me to point out you who they’re?”, the FBI stated, “No.” I’m like, “Do you need to take a report? My household may give you witness. I used to be there with my spouse and my daughter,” and the FBI brokers on the bottom simply stated, “No, we’re OK. Thanks.” So, there was clearly a disconnect.

Bluey: One of many issues that strikes me as I watch the movie, and I feel so lots of the individuals who do will see this with their very own eyes, are the numerous photos and the movies that you’ve collected and compiled into this one highly effective documentary. Share extra concerning the sorts of people that you interacted with on that day.

Searcy: Like I stated, the general public there have been very patriotic folks, and other people of all races and creeds, and so they weren’t there to trigger any violence. And so they had come to make their voices heard, that they believed that there have been issues concerning the election that didn’t make sense. They wished the certification to be paused for 10 days in order that this could possibly be investigated.

They weren’t there to disrupt any course of that was occurring within the Senate, which is what most of them have been charged with, is making an attempt to disrupt an official continuing. They wished what was taking place within the joint session of Congress to occur. [Sens.] Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley and different folks had been making the argument that this must be paused for 10 days.

There’s no motive for the those that got here there to make that occur, for them to disrupt the continuing, which made us start to place collectively—after we had been making the movie—that the actual fact of the matter is the those that had been making an attempt to disrupt the continuing or the those that … instigated folks to enter the Capitol Constructing weren’t those that supported Donald Trump. They weren’t those that wished the proceedings to be stopped.

And what occurred? As quickly because the Capitol was breached and all of the violence occurred, they suspended the session of Congress and so they went forward and licensed the election. We are able to’t have any extra dialogue. It’s too harmful.

So the those that went inside, a majority of them, I might say, not less than a big variety of them, weren’t Trump supporters.

Burgard: Yeah, it was fairly apparent. You noticed this mass of probably as much as 2 million folks headed to the Capitol. And in the event you might have seen—and film an enormous herd of cattle, however this cattle was principally, there was plenty of church teams there, households, two and three generations of parents. After which there was plenty of teams from a former communist nation, those that had escaped communist nations.

There have been Chinese language organizations on the bottom. There have been People who had been—nationals who had been Vietnamese heritage. All these completely different teams saying how nice America was and warning towards China and warning towards this nation shifting to socialism as a result of they’d escaped that and are available to America.

There was simply so many good children there with their dad and mom. And like Nick stated earlier, they had been praying, they had been singing. And the folks that you simply noticed on the Trump rally, the folks that you simply noticed across the Washington Monument, the folks that you simply had been with marching to the Capitol Constructing is a totally completely different crowd than what we’ve been seeing time and again within the assault movies.

Simply on your viewers alone, anyone that appears at a video of what occurred on the Capitol, if the folks had a masks on or if the masks was dropped under their chins, they had been in all probability operatives. They had been in there to seize this operation.

As a result of we went by means of virtually 2 million folks ready to go see Trump, seeing Trump and marching again, and I feel I noticed perhaps seven or eight folks sporting masks. I imply, the Trump supporters simply weren’t sporting them.

Searcy: No, as a result of we Trump supporters are heartless. And keep in mind, we wish grandmas to die. We received’t put on our masks.

Bluey: Nick, inform me concerning the numerous folks that you simply function within the film. There are various tales that I feel People in all probability have by no means heard of.

Searcy: Nicely, because the film went on, we began speaking to individuals who had their doorways damaged down by the FBI. And we interviewed plenty of folks, Derek Kinnison, Tony Martinez, man named Easton Cantwell, Simone Gold, the America’s Frontline Medical doctors. And all of those tales had been fairly comparable.

Six a.m., no cellphone name, no nothing. FBI exhibits up at their door. In Derek and Tony’s circumstances, they got here with an awesome present of power, armored autos driving by means of their little suburban neighborhood, battering rams, flashbang grenades. They handled these folks as in the event that they had been drug cartel members or leaders or serial killers, and most of those folks had by no means been arrested for something of their lives.

And as they inform their tales within the film, you begin to notice, you begin to ask your self the query, what’s the authorities doing? Why is the federal government treating these folks this fashion?

Simone Gold even says so within the film, anyone like her, who’s a public determine, no historical past of violence, they might have simply known as and stated, “We’d like to talk to you,” however no, they arrive and so they deal with them like criminals. And so they try this to ship a message. They’re doing this on goal.

This like a terror tactic. They’re making an attempt to instill concern within the citizenry, that in the event you stand as much as the federal government or in the event you rise up and say, “I imagine that the election was stolen and shouldn’t have been licensed,” you then had been committing some vile act and the federal government goes to come back down on you and deal with you want this. And so they’re making an attempt to ship a message to everyone: “Don’t ever resist us once more or that is what is going to occur to you.”

And that is an ongoing terror marketing campaign towards these folks. There’s nonetheless folks in jail which were there for over a yr, most of whom are charged with misdemeanors, and the folks in our film are nonetheless going by means of their trials.

And that is judicial harassment. These folks don’t have a lot of an opportunity. They’re dealing with a D.C. jury. They should have a D.C. lawyer due to the foundations within the District of Columbia and a D.C. choose.

All of those are 96% Democrat, all of whom hate Trump, all of whom are biased towards Trump supporters. In order that they go in with all these costs towards them and so they attempt to get these folks to take a plea deal in order that they don’t face 80 years in jail or one thing insane.

And the general public in our film by no means even went within the constructing. The one two those that went within the constructing are two 74-year-old twin sister grandmothers who went into the constructing, requested the police in the event that they could possibly be there, they took a few photos, they walked out, and three weeks later, the FBI’s banging on their door. It is a terror marketing campaign towards Americans who disagreed with the Democrat Occasion.

Bluey: Chris, let me ask a follow-up query to that. As you went by means of the method of figuring out the folks to function within the movie, what was it like speaking to them, getting them to inform their tales? And a few of them could be apprehensive to talk publicly about this given the circumstances that they presently face, as Nick stated, awaiting their judgment.

Burgard: By no means underestimate the ability of concern to manage folks, as a result of there have been extra folks than we put within the film that didn’t go within the film as a result of they had been so afraid.

We really needed to take one particular person out of the movie who didn’t go into the Capitol. And he was former legislation enforcement. He was a retired police chief, and we thought he was going to be the strongest man in the entire movie. And over the course of our manufacturing, what occurred to him and the persevering with strain that the federal government placed on him, he backed out of the movie.

So the parents which can be nonetheless within the movie, the largest factor I can say about them is what good folks they’re and the way courageous they’re. …

A typical thread we noticed on this, like Nick was saying, Tony Martinez and Derek Kinnison by no means went into the constructing, however what did they’ve in frequent and what did among the different individuals who had been arrested have in frequent? They had been leaders in placing collectively Trump caravans or serving to their neighborhood, small enterprise band collectively when [Black Lives Matter] was coming to protest of their communities or put collectively anti-mask rallies, however they didn’t go contained in the Capitol.

So then it’s important to ask your self, “Nicely, what’s occurring right here? Are they actually going after folks they assume broke the legislation? Or is that this a political purge?” And that’s one thing we noticed, like with Simone Gold.

I imply, why did they arrest Simone Gold? As a result of she adopted the gang into the constructing when the police stated it was OK, or did they arrest her as a result of she had beforehand stood on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court docket with a bunch of different Frontline Medical doctors and stated, “This pandemic is a hoax. This pandemic is treatable. If we use frequent sense in good drugs, nobody has to die”? That’s what we noticed time and again.

Bluey: One of the crucial highly effective components of the film, in my expertise, was listening to from Aaron Babbitt, the husband of Ashli Babbitt, who tragically died on that day. Nick, [let’s] begin with you, what was the expertise like speaking to Aaron and listening to his perspective on this?

Searcy: So, it was overwhelming. I imply, what the media has performed to Ashli Babbitt after she was murdered is as a lot of a criminal offense as her precise dying. They’ve vilified her as some type of rabid Trump-supporting zealot. And in reality, nothing could be farther from the reality.

Footage that we’ve discovered because the film was launched of what she was doing earlier than she was killed was, she was telling the folks to cease breaking the doorways, cease making an attempt to interrupt in. She was speaking to the police, saying, “We want extra reinforcement up right here.” She was really up there making an attempt to cease the violence reasonably than trigger it, as she’s been portrayed.

And simply to listen to Aaron recount what it’s like to really see your spouse, your beloved, your companion in life, see her killed on tv and be powerless to do something, to achieve her, to be there—I imply, it’s heart-rending.

And one of many issues we wished to do with the film is absolutely humanize Ashli Babbitt and simply let folks know what she was actually like, reasonably than the way in which the media has lied about her.

Bluey: And Chris, what are among the issues that you desire to our listeners to find out about Ashli Babbitt that they may not hear elsewhere?

Burgard: Ashli Babbitt wasn’t solely a 14-year navy veteran, she was a legislation enforcement specialist. She had served her nation on some very troublesome conditions in Iraq. She had been beforehand injured, significantly. She knew what was occurring that day. She was there.

Not solely, she went there as somebody to assist her president. She was very excited concerning the day. You’ll see within the movie, she was streaming her ideas as she was strolling towards the Capitol.

However in that second, the footage that we’ve of her that we’ve since discovered, you may see she’s performing as a legislation enforcement skilled, telling these younger cops that I’m certain had a lot much less expertise than she did, she’s like, “You want backup in right here. There’s a power of individuals coming. You want to get assist now.”

And there’s a man named Zachary Alam. For those who see the footage within the film, that is the man that’s making an attempt to interrupt the window. He’s main the violence towards the Capitol. He’s bought a navy helmet and he’s making an attempt to crack the glass with the navy helmet. He’s hitting it with every part he can.

On this different angle that we’ve, you see Ashli Babbitt seize him. He jerks away from her. She grabs him once more, and she or he throws a left hook into his face and truly knocks his glasses off. That is mere seconds earlier than she will get shot.

As a legislation enforcement skilled, I imply, Aaron thinks, and I agree with him, that as a consequence of her claustrophobia and as a result of state of affairs getting an increasing number of out of hand, he thinks she really might need gone by means of that window making an attempt to flee or get to a greater vantage level to attempt to cease the violence.

In any case, as a legislation enforcement skilled, she is aware of the process for that you simply comply with earlier than use of lethal power, the usage of lethal power continuum. She knew as a navy legislation enforcement personnel what the Capitol Police coaching was, and they didn’t do their job.

There was no vocal warning. There was no seen presence. There was no use of nonlethal power. So the very last thing that girl thought as she was going by means of that window was, “I’m going to get shot for doing this.”

You take a look at the footage of [Lt. Michael] Byrd and the way he dealt with his weapon, that was not knowledgeable.

Bluey: I need to ask you each about a few the households who’re featured within the movie. Let’s begin with Tony Martinez. You’ve been capable of pull among the precise footage of the FBI raiding Tony’s dwelling. You spoke to Tony and his teenage daughter. Nick, what was that like, listening to from this 13-year-old woman concerning the expertise of getting her dwelling raided?

Searcy: It’s heartbreaking. I imply, they principally terrorized and traumatized [this] household. And by treating them, like I stated, like they had been hardened criminals. These are respectable, hardworking People, church-going folks, by no means been arrested for something earlier than. A person and his spouse and three youngsters, and so they threatened to interrupt down his door after which actually break the sliding glass door within the again.

And Tony and his daughter Isabelle had been frantically making an attempt to get them to pause lengthy sufficient for them to manage the household canine. And since the canine was traumatized, in fact, and so they couldn’t management the canine, the canine ran away, was gone for every week.

And so they pulled this 13-year-old woman out of the home and handcuffed her on the sidewalk, and it’s nonsensical. You’ll be able to’t clarify why they might do that in another method than they’re deliberately making an attempt to traumatize folks. And it’s heartbreaking to listen to them inform the story.

Bluey: Nick, the opposite household that you simply interviewed was Derek Kinnison and his daughter, and you’ve got footage from the Ring doorbell digicam, basically that you simply embrace within the movie, and what’s Derek’s story?

Searcy: Derek and Tony had been mates and so they went there collectively. They felt known as to go and so they had been there with first-aid gear. Mainly, they’d acquired some studies on the web that there could be some Antifa presence there, and so they wished to be there to be current to assist folks.

There are not any weapons. They weren’t carrying something besides first-aid gear. And Derek was handled a lot the identical method as Tony. And if you see the footage of the armored autos, it’s surreal. It appears to be like like one thing in a loopy, futuristic film, or one thing that you simply would possibly see within the streets of Afghanistan.

It appears to be like like a raid. A raid on a terrorist is what it appears to be like like. They’ve bought armored autos, battering rams, 20 SWAT workforce members. Derek stated, when he stepped out of his home, there have been crimson dots throughout his chest. He’s bought his palms up. It’s surreal. It appears to be like like a raid on a terrorist camp.

Bluey: Chris, let me ask you this query, as a result of we’re nearly to embark on the Jan. 6 committee arrange by [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi, stacked with Democrats and a few Republicans who’re Republican in identify solely. And they’re presenting a story that’s fairly completely different from what we’ve simply heard you and Nick discuss. As People see protection of those hearings, what are among the stuff you need them to recollect and take into consideration within the context of the movie that you simply’ve made?

Burgard: I would love them to know that every part the J6 committee is pushing is a lie. Every part that they’re telling you is a lie.

If the J6 neighborhood was, congressional committee was within the fact, they might’ve subpoenaed anyone like Millie Weaver, who’s an investigative journalist, who has a observe file of infiltrating teams and offering data to the Capitol Police and to Secret Service, and the FBI that has been utilized in actionable legislation enforcement actions to guard senators like Lindsey Graham and different VIP personnel.

Earlier than this movie, she had infiltrated a name that had not solely far-left teams planning an occasion similar to this that was carried out, however on that decision had been really members of our personal authorities.

Now, that footage is within the film. Why don’t they subpoena her and produce her in in order that she will present the proof that she introduced up that was by no means used? Why don’t they subpoena the international Isabelle, the 13-year-old woman that was dragged out of her mattress and handcuffed? How about her 4- and 7-year-old brothers and sisters which can be nonetheless fully affected by PTSD from being woken up with flashbangs and having their door smashed in?

These are what I’d like America to see, is the entire story, the true story. They’re not getting that. They’re getting a false narrative.

Mainly, you’re seeing one of many largest psy-ops this nation’s ever gone by means of. And the congressional committee in tandem with the pretend information media is working hand and foot to convey this fiction and push it into the minds of the American folks. I’d prefer to see the reality.

Bluey: Will there be a degree when People say, “Sufficient is sufficient. We’ve watched ‘Capitol Punishment.’ We’ve learn different sources. We’ve learn Julie Kelly’s guide. We’re not standing for this anymore”? When will that second come?

Searcy: I feel that second has to come back when anyone within the Republican Occasion stands up for these victims. Up to now we haven’t had anyone, only a few folks. Perhaps [Reps.] Marjorie Taylor Greene, Louie Gohmert, Matt Gaetz, perhaps a number of others have actually tried to name consideration to the truth that these persons are not solely being held in jail, in D.C. jails for misdemeanor costs, for month after month after month with their trials frequently pushed ahead, but in addition that the individuals who have been awaiting trial now for over 18 months or virtually 18 months, they hold having their adjudications continued and every part as a result of the federal government needs to bleed them out.

The federal government is making an attempt to bleed these folks of their sources and make them so determined that they simply settle for a plea deal simply to get it over with. And it’s so legal, so mistaken what is going on to those folks. We want somebody, even when it’s President Trump himself, we’d like somebody to face up for these prisoners and these folks which can be being tortured. And till that occurs, till the Jan. 6 committee is given all this legitimacy; handled, taken significantly—

The Jan. 6 committee is a clown present. It’s a joke. It’s there merely to attract this out in order that they will attempt to use it for the narrative on the following election to say, “We’ve bought to cease these evil white supremacists, these home terrorists,” blah, blah, blah.

There’s no fact in it in any respect. And till our aspect stands up and forcefully calls it out, I don’t see it ending anytime quickly. And if it really does influence the election and it really works for them, they’re by no means going to let it go.

Bluey: Let me ask you this as we begin to wrap-up right here. Chris, I’ll start with you. This was clearly a large endeavor in your half and Nick, and so lots of the different individuals who had been concerned in making “Capitol Punishment,” what was it that motivated you to commit the time to doing this?

Burgard: My children love for this nation. Nick and I couldn’t stand to take a seat and see this present day in historical past stolen. Any person needed to inform the reality and that’s what we did. And that is now essentially the most censored film in America.

There’s a motive why the Silicon Valley algorithms and the mainstream media have performed every part they will to cowl this movie up, as a result of this movie fully destroys the false Jan. 6 narrative. It fully destroys the agenda of the J6 fee. The Democrats are going to double down on J6. And it’s been working for them.

I imply, folks on our aspect are so afraid to be branded as violent insurrectionist, they received’t take a look at the reality. This film fully destroys their agenda. The Democrats are going to double down on this during the 2020 elections. And with what I’ve seen, them abuse the legislation to common residents, I wouldn’t be shocked in the event that they tried to cost Trump with one thing else in order that as an alternative of operating for a good election in 2024, he’s combating off some type of indictments.

The abuse I’ve seen of our authorized system on this movie is unimaginable. My dad went to the 109 Session, FBI Academy. My dad was legislation enforcement. He have to be rolling over in his grave with the abuse of energy that’s been occurring legally right here.

The reality is the one factor that may beat this. And if there’s a tipping level of fact, of sufficient folks see with their very own eyes what occurred that day, every part falls aside. Huge shifts, huge issues occur, huge doorways open on very small hinges.

And the hinge that makes every part crumble is Jan. 6, as a result of folks can see with their very own eyes what actually occurred that day. They will see with their very own eyes what our authorities is doing to harmless People and to babies. And they’ll rise up and they’re going to say, “This shouldn’t be taking place in america America. That is Third World. That is what occurred within the revolutions in Venezuela, in Ukraine, in Egypt. It put the Muslim Brotherhood in energy. That very same factor shouldn’t be taking place in America, but it surely simply did.”

Bluey: Nick, I’ll provide the final phrase right here. What was it about this present day and your being concerned there that led you to embark on a undertaking like this, to inform the story of Jan. 6 from this attitude?

Searcy: Nicely, to be sincere, I have to say, at first I used to be reluctant as a result of I used to be scared. And so lots of the those that we speak to, we interview plenty of folks within the film, however there’s an equal quantity, if no more, that had been afraid to talk to us.

As a result of if you see the way in which the federal government is treating these folks, it makes you surprise, “Is it value it?” However as we type of bought going, and Chris and I, “OK, we’re going to make this film,” and we began speaking to folks because it went on, it grew to become one thing that I knew I needed to do. We needed to end this. We needed to see it by means of. …

I used to be appalled at my very own authorities and I actually by no means wished to assume this. I by no means wished to assume that that is what my authorities is like, however it’s. And we’ve to show it. We now have to get the reality on the market and other people have to confront it.

I’ve all the time stated from the start, even in the event you disagree with us, please, would you simply please watch this film and inform me in the event you assume that is the way in which People ought to be handled, it doesn’t matter what aspect they’re on.

Even when they had been there protesting a Republican president, do you assume that is right? Do you assume that is the way in which our authorities ought to function? And plenty of the issue that we’ve is lots of people on the left, they’re afraid to take a look at it. They don’t need to see the film. They name it propaganda. They’re simply afraid to take a look at one thing which may disturb their worldview.

However I actually imagine that if extra folks will confront the reality of what occurred about Jan. 6 and see by means of the federal government’s lies, we’re all going to be higher off for it. We are able to nonetheless save this nation, however folks should confront the reality of what’s really taking place proper in entrance of their faces.

Bluey: And what’s one of the simplest ways for our listeners to look at the movie?

Searcy: Proper now, there’s plenty of locations, however the very best one proper now could be: Go to givemelibertynow.org. … And you can even discover it at capitolpunishmentthemovie.com. Each these locations, the film’s accessible.

Bluey: We’ll make sure to embrace hyperlinks to these, each within the transcript of this interview and the notes for this podcast. As anyone who’s watched it myself, I’m actually grateful that you simply’ve given us the time at this time to elucidate what motivated you to make the film, and in addition why you’re so keen about telling these tales of the People who’ve suffered in consequence.

Searcy: Thanks, Rob.

Burgard: Thanks for having us on, Rob.

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