The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

‘Normal tourist visit’: Republicans recast deadly Jan. 6 attack by pro-Trump mob

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May 12, 2021 at 5:51 p.m. EDT
House Republicans at times defended the Jan. 6 Capitol mob with false statements and said the attacks were not an insurrection during a May 12 hearing. (Video: JM Rieger/The Washington Post)
correction

A previous version of this story incorrectly said an officer had his eye gouged out during the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. The story has been corrected to reflect that the officer said his eye was gouged during the attack and another officer later lost an eye.

Several House Republicans on Wednesday tried to recast and downplay the events of Jan. 6, comparing the mob that breached the Capitol to tourists, railing against law enforcement for seeking to arrest them and questioning how anyone could be sure the rioters were supporters of President Donald Trump.

The Republicans’ distortions about the most violent attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812 defy the well-documented reality of what occurred that day — 140 police officers were injured, some bludgeoned with flagpoles and baseball bats, with one officer’s eye gouged, another later losing an eye; rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence” and erected a gallows on the Capitol grounds; and members of the House and the Senate were rushed to safety in secure locations for several hours. The attack resulted in five dead.