Tag: Trump insurrection

West Virginia man arrested near U.S. Capitol with gun, ‘Stop the Steal’ papers in car

Dennis Westover, who told police he had concerns about the integrity of the election, had parked in the middle of an intersection near the Capitol Building.

A 71-year-old West Virginia man was arrested after police found him parked near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with a gun, 20 rounds of ammunition and “Stop the Steal” paperwork in his vehicle.

The arrest came weeks after supporters of then-President Donald Trump, who had attended a gathering billed by many as the “Stop the Steal Rally” to oppose the election of President Joe Biden, stormed the Capitol. Five people died as a result of the Jan. 6 riot, including a Capitol police officer.

The man, Dennis Westover, was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with carrying a gun without a license, possession of unregistered ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to an incident report obtained by NBC News. Continue reading.

Second officer from Capitol riot dies by suicide, police chief says

“Other harm from this traumatic day will be widely felt but possibly unacknowledged,” the acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department said.

A second police officer who defended the U.S. Capitol during the mob attack on Jan. 6 has died by suicide, the acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department said this week.

Chief Robert J. Contee III told a House committee on Tuesday that Officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year-veteran of the Metro Police Department, had killed himself recently. Another officer, Howard Liebengood, who joined the Capitol Police in 2005, died by suicide three days after the attack. Liebengood was 51.

“Other harm from this traumatic day will be widely felt but possibly unacknowledged,” Contee said. “Law enforcement training neither anticipates nor prepares for hours of hand-to-hand combat.” Continue reading.

Pelosi slams GOP on Greene: ‘The enemy is within’

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday hammered House GOP leaders for putting Rep. Marjorie Greene on the Education Committee, just as revelations have emerged that the Georgia Republican has questioned the veracity of deadly school shootings around the country.

“It is absolutely appalling, and I think that the focus has to be on the Republican leadership of this House of Representatives for the disregard that they have for the death of those children,” Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol.

Pelosi said it’s “beyond the pale” that GOP leaders would place Greene on the Education panel. Continue reading.

State GOP Leaders Lurching Toward Cultism, Secession, And Worse

State Republican parties across the country became even more extreme over the first week without Donald Trump in the White House, punishing Republicans who they felt didn’t support Trump enough and pushing baseless conspiracy theories that helped lead to the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The actions from state Republican parties are a surefire sign that the GOP cannot easily wipe its hands clean of Trump, even though those like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell want nothing more to do with him following the attacks that led to the death of one Capitol Police officer.

Here’s a look at what some state Republican parties have done since President Joe Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20: Continue reading.

California man made pipe bombs, plotted attacks on Democrats to keep Trump in power, prosecutors allege

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Federal prosecutors alleged in charges made public Wednesday that a California man who wrongly believed Donald Trump had won the election built pipe bombs and planned to go to “war” against Democrats and others to keep him in power.

Ian Benjamin Rogers had been taken into custody earlier this month on state charges after Napa County authorities and the FBI searched his home and business and found 49 guns and five pipe bombs, according to an FBI affidavit in the case.

While Rogers, 44, who owns an auto repair shop specializing in British vehicles, told investigators the bombs were for entertainment, investigators came to believe otherwise. According to the affidavit, authorities recovered text messages on Rogers’s phone showing “his belief that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, and his intent to attack Democrats and places associated with Democrats in an effort to ensure Trump remained in office.” Continue reading.

Most House Republicans silent over violent Marjorie Taylor Greene comments as Democrats condemn them

Most House Republicans were silent on Wednesday after CNN’s KFile reported that Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly indicated support for executing prominent Democratic politicians in 2018 and 2019 before being elected to Congress. 

“These comments are deeply disturbing, and Leader McCarthy plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them,” Mark Bednar, a spokesman for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, said in a statement Wednesday evening. Axios was first to report his comments and the California Republican’s plans to speak with the congresswoman. 

House GOP Whip Steve Scalise said in a statement to CNN, “I’ve consistently condemned the use of violent rhetoric in politics on both sides, and this is no exception. There is no place for comments like that in our political discourse.” Continue reading.

MN House votes to condemn insurrection and false election claims, 8 GOP lawmakers vote no

The resolution condemned violence at the U.S. and state capitols and declared support for 2020 election results.

Eight GOP state representatives voted against a resolution Monday that condemned recent violence at the U.S. and state capitols, and declared support for the certified 2020 election results. 

The resolution was introduced following a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, in which a mob stormed the halls of Congress while lawmakers were certifying electoral college results.

The resolution read: “A House resolution condemning violence and violent rhetoric directed at our United States Capitol and state capitols, and affirming support for democracy, rule of law, and the certified results of Minnesota’s election and the elections of the other states.” Continue reading.

Homeland security bulletin warns Americans about violence by grievance-fueled domestic extremists

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The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning Wednesday to alert the public about the growing threat of “ideologically-motivated violent extremists” agitated about President Biden’s inauguration and “perceived grievances fueled by false narratives.”

DHS periodically issues such advisories through its National Terrorism Advisory System, but the warnings have typically been generated by concerns about attacks by foreign governments or radical groups, not domestic extremists.

In a statement, the department said the purpose of the new bulletin was to warn the public about a “heightened threat environment” across the United States “that is likely to persist over the coming weeks.” The bulletin is a lesser-status warning designed to alert the public about general risks, rather than an imminent attack or a specific threat. Continue reading.

Probe of Capitol riot swells further

Prosecutor predicts sedition charges, but is cagey on incitement and potential involvement of lawmakers and staff.

Law enforcement has identified more than 400 suspects and has brought federal criminal charges against over 150 people for actions related to the storming of the Capitol by protesters seeking to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s win in the November election, officials said Tuesday.

In the first public update on the probe since Biden’s inauguration, a top prosecutor and FBI official said a central focus of investigators at the moment is violence against police officers who were beaten or crushed while seeking to hold the line against the rioters.

“You will see a geometric increase in cases related to assault on police officers,” acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin told reporters on a conference call. Continue reading.

YouTube extends Trump suspension, slaps new restrictions on Giuliani

YouTube has extended its suspension of former President Donald Trump’s channel indefinitely.

Video sharing giant YouTube extended its suspension of former President Donald Trump’s channel indefinitely on Tuesday and restricted Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani’s ability to make money off the platform. 

The latest clampdowns: The Google-owned company announced that for the second time in two weeks, it would extend restrictions that block Trump from posting on the platform. The company initially blocked him on Jan. 12 amid fears of additional violence in the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol by Trump’s supporters.

YouTube initially said it was giving Trump his first of three strikes before it would permanently ban him from the site under its content policies, suspending him for a minimum of one week. It extended that suspension last Tuesday for at least another week. But the company offered no timetable for the latest extension, making his suspension effectively indefinite. Continue reading.