House Democrat Takes Down Trump For Continually 'Lifting Up' Jan. 6 Rioters
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) knocked former President Donald Trump’s “long history of complete disrespect” to the U.S. before taking aim at his treatment of Jan. 6 rioters.
In a recent interview with the MeidasTouch Network, the former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot told co-founder Ben Meiselas it’s “offensive” that Trump plays, at his rallies, a rendition of the national anthem by a group of his imprisoned supporters who call themselves the J6 Prison Choir. Trump has referred to those charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack as “hostages” and “patriots.”
“You continue to hear him lifting up the January 6th protesters,” Sherrill said of the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
Sherrill noted that she was in the House gallery as the mob stormed the Capitol. She said she was in the balcony section and watched as those on the floor were evacuated.
She added that people in her section weren’t able to evacuate and eventually barricaded the doors shut and got gas masks ready.
“There were people making phone calls home because they thought they’d never see their family again. And to be frank with you, I don’t think we’ve heard Republicans come to terms with that in a way that I certainly find in line with our values,” Sherrill said.
She continued, “We should’ve seen, when we impeached the president after that, we should have seen every single member of elected office come forward and vote to say that he could no longer serve. He would never be able to serve again. And so now, he’s back on the ballot which is offensive but then he also has these acolytes.”
One of those “acolytes” is Joe Belnome, who is among Sherrill’s GOP challengers in New Jersey’s 11th congressional district and a Trump supporter who marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6. (He has insisted that didn’t go into the building on that day).
“We have someone who was at Jan. 6, who attends Trump rallies, who shaved Trump’s name into his scalp, who seems to love this type of divisive, rage-filled, anti-American politics,” Sherrill said of the Republican.
“And so it’s a toxic thing that’s infecting our government at so many levels. And I think that’s why it’s so important that we continue to push back against this.”
