There have been previous reports on this site in which it was noted that the bits of previously available evidence painted a picture in which it seemed as though some members of Congress, especially Republicans, knew that the Capitol would at least be vulnerable to MAGA supporters in a rage over the election certification on January 6th. For example, when Rep. Jim Jordan heard the chaos descending on the House, he said something about helping and protecting “the ladies” and reached for Liz Cheney, who said ‘Get away from me. You f*cking did this,’ and many of us have long believed that to be a very personal message to Jordan, that Cheney knew that “this” was part of a plan in which Jordan was personally involved. Today, the Committee presented evidence that even the MAGA Republicans that were planning to “Object” on January 6th knew that it could be violent and explosive around the Capitol.
The Committee played the haunting voice of Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona, a woman who objected to Biden’s clear victory, talking on a conference call on January 5th about her concerns for a plan for “members’ safety” for the next day. Like every good MAGA, Lesko noted that “Antifa will be there” (except they were not), but then went on to admit that Trump had pushed his supporters to the point that they expect Congress to reverse the election and when that didn’t happen, “they will go nuts.”
“We also have, quite honestly, Trump supporters who actually believe that we are going to overturn the election, and when that doesn’t happen — most likely, will not happen — they’re going to go nuts”
"We also have, quite honestly, Trump supporters who actually believe that we are going to overturn the election, and when that doesn't happen — most likely, will not happen — they're going to go nuts" — Rep. Debbie Lesko pic.twitter.com/l8BjViEBPu
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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 12, 2022
It is stunning to hear from Republicans who knew beforehand that they’d put themselves and the nation at risk in their zeal to please Trump. They know that Trump was on Twitter on December 19th, 2020 saying it would be “wild.” And yet they went ahead with the objections, according to his plan. To the extent that Trump’s followers believed that they would overturn the evidence, it was because members promised to object!
And yet we hear her voice, talking about a plan for members’ safety, knowing that Trump’s followers are “going to go nuts,” and she must have sensed that these are some of the country’s most violent people. It is very telling. Lesko referenced “antifa,” but that must have been by instinct alone. Because it was only after describing these many Trump followers and their anger when the election isn’t overturned that she said things might go nuts. Lesko knew which side presented a violent threat.
@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact with any concerns.
