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Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) “cheered” the Jan. 6 rebellion on the U.S. Capitol final yr as his fellow lawmakers feared for his or her lives, mentioned a former aide to Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
Brooks had urged on then-President Donald Trump’s supporters at a Nationwide Mall rally simply earlier than they stormed the Capitol, telling them to be able to make a “blood” sacrifice, simply as People did through the Revolution. He additionally advised them to march on the Capitol and mentioned it was time “patriots begin taking down names and kicking ass.” He was wearing body armor at the time.
Later, when a pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol, lawmakers on the Home flooring had been “fearful for his or her lives. Republican members … males crying within the cloakroom for his or her security,” former McCarthy aide Ryan O’Toole advised Jake Tapper on Thursday on CNN.
“As we escaped the chamber — to what seemed like gunshots — to the safe location, I feel folks had been nonetheless scared … and unsure what was occurring,” added O’Toole, who’s now deputy coverage director for Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), vice chair of the Home choose committee investigating the riot.
Not everybody had the identical angle, O’Toole famous.
“Mo Brooks, for instance, was glad,” he added. “He was cheering on the truth that the 117th Congress began this fashion. That was a lot to the dismay of others within the room.”
Brooks denied in a press release to Alabama Political Reporter that he was cheering the attack.
He advised AL.com that O’Toole’s account was “total bovine excrement” and advised it was meant to hurt his marketing campaign for Senate this yr. He added that O’Toole’s change to Cheney’s employees “says rather a lot about why he lied.” Cheney has been criticized by fellow Republicans for not shopping for in to Trump’s lies concerning the 2020 election being stolen from him and for chastising the previous president for inciting the mob assault final yr primarily based on these lies.
O’Toole advised Tapper he modified employers as a result of he wished to work for somebody who’s “loyal to the Structure.” He mentioned McCarthy’s management “technique is dictated by probably the most excessive wings of the get together.”
Brooks additionally emphasised in a message to AL.com that he has beforehand known as for prosecuting anybody concerned within the rebellion who “violated the legislation.”
Ali Alexander, the important thing determine behind the Jan. 6 Cease the Steal rally, has mentioned Brooks was one of three Republican congressmen who helped him plan the rally — which Brooks has denied. Alexander testified before the House select committee final month.
Take a look at O’Toole’s full interview within the video clip up prime. He talks about concern on the Home flooring on Jan. 6 and Brooks’ “cheering” at 1:55. Brooks’ speech on the rally earlier than the rebellion could be seen beneath:
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