How Republicans in Congress legitimized extremist groups
By Luke Broadwater of The New York Times
Nearly 150 Republicans in Congress supported Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the election had been stolen from him. But a handful of Republican members of the House had deeper ties to extremist groups who pushed violent ideas and conspiracy theories, and whose members were among the Capitol rioters on January 6th.
As my colleague Matthew Rosenberg and I reported in a new article, their ranks include
While the Republicans’ false statements about a stolen election played a role in inciting the Capitol attack, it is not clear if any elected officials played a direct role in facilitating the riot. All have denied such allegations. A spokesman for Boebert wrote in an email, “Simply because she takes a photo with someone that asks for one doesn’t mean she endorses every single belief they have or agrees with all other public statements or causes they support.”
But in signaling either overt or tacit support to militias and other far-right groups, a small but vocal band of Republicans now serving in the House provided legitimacy and publicity to the extremist groups as they supported Trump’s efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 election and played a prominent role in the attack on Congress.
Aidan D. Goelman, a former federal prosecutor who helped convict the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, said that when elected officials — or even candidates for office — take actions like appearing with militia groups or other right-wing groups, it “provides them with an added imprimatur of legitimacy.”
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(Rogue’s Commentary)
Keep an eye out for these named extremists in Congress. The fact they are still in good with the Republican Party to this day and are even driving some of the Republican policy tells me that the Republicans have sold their soul to Trump and his brand of extremism. The Republicans in the wake of the coup-attempt who voted to impeach Trump are now facing a purge. Already Republican extremist candidates are preparing to run against them, and Liz Cheney is really taking heat to step down from leadership. I’m hoping she stands firm, because I see it as the only real hope for the Republican Party.
This is not “politics-as-usual”, and when there have been death threats to members of Congress, some by other members of Congress, snd these far right radicals are lacking guns into the House Chamber, one has to realise that it makes for a seriously unsafe work environment.
The danger has not passed. There will likely be more violence in the future. The alert from DHS (Department of Homeland Security) has said as much. The concern is these far right militant groups are pretty much going unchecked. The stuff I’m seeing posted on some of my few remaining “friends” facebook who claim they are Christians (some family members as well), is really haunting! The roots of these groups that have infiltrated the police forces snd military is probably the scariest. I’m glad some of them have been exposed. I fear for the country of my birth, and these groups have already infiltrated Australia. The Mosque shooting in New Zealand was spawned from them. So don’t come to me saying we need unity. We need accountability before any unity can happen.
By Luke Broadwater of The New York Times
Nearly 150 Republicans in Congress supported Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the election had been stolen from him. But a handful of Republican members of the House had deeper ties to extremist groups who pushed violent ideas and conspiracy theories, and whose members were among the Capitol rioters on January 6th.
As my colleague Matthew Rosenberg and I reported in a new article, their ranks include
- Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona, who has met with members of the far-right Oath Keepers and vilified Muslim immigrants as a “scourge”.
- Representative Andy Biggs, also of Arizona, the chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, who has spoken at events hosted by extremists, including one at which a founder of the Oath Keepers called for hanging Senator John McCain.
- Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who has connections to the militia group the Three Percenters, which shares her view that gun rights are under assault.
- Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who has for years trafficked in conspiracy theories including QAnon, which demonizes Democrats as Satanists, and who has made bigoted remarks about Black people, Jews and Muslims.
While the Republicans’ false statements about a stolen election played a role in inciting the Capitol attack, it is not clear if any elected officials played a direct role in facilitating the riot. All have denied such allegations. A spokesman for Boebert wrote in an email, “Simply because she takes a photo with someone that asks for one doesn’t mean she endorses every single belief they have or agrees with all other public statements or causes they support.”
But in signaling either overt or tacit support to militias and other far-right groups, a small but vocal band of Republicans now serving in the House provided legitimacy and publicity to the extremist groups as they supported Trump’s efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 election and played a prominent role in the attack on Congress.
Aidan D. Goelman, a former federal prosecutor who helped convict the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, said that when elected officials — or even candidates for office — take actions like appearing with militia groups or other right-wing groups, it “provides them with an added imprimatur of legitimacy.”
==========================
(Rogue’s Commentary)
Keep an eye out for these named extremists in Congress. The fact they are still in good with the Republican Party to this day and are even driving some of the Republican policy tells me that the Republicans have sold their soul to Trump and his brand of extremism. The Republicans in the wake of the coup-attempt who voted to impeach Trump are now facing a purge. Already Republican extremist candidates are preparing to run against them, and Liz Cheney is really taking heat to step down from leadership. I’m hoping she stands firm, because I see it as the only real hope for the Republican Party.
This is not “politics-as-usual”, and when there have been death threats to members of Congress, some by other members of Congress, snd these far right radicals are lacking guns into the House Chamber, one has to realise that it makes for a seriously unsafe work environment.
The danger has not passed. There will likely be more violence in the future. The alert from DHS (Department of Homeland Security) has said as much. The concern is these far right militant groups are pretty much going unchecked. The stuff I’m seeing posted on some of my few remaining “friends” facebook who claim they are Christians (some family members as well), is really haunting! The roots of these groups that have infiltrated the police forces snd military is probably the scariest. I’m glad some of them have been exposed. I fear for the country of my birth, and these groups have already infiltrated Australia. The Mosque shooting in New Zealand was spawned from them. So don’t come to me saying we need unity. We need accountability before any unity can happen.