The one-year anniversary of the infamous, violent Capitol riot is rapidly approaching, and to say that people have become fed up with the way Republicans have reacted and responded to that fateful day would be a massive understatement.
Now that the House Select Committee is deep into their investigation of the riot and the events that surrounded it, some people are channeling their outrage into the House Committee’s probe, using it to call out these “pathetic” Republicans for what they are.
People like U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell.
Gonell was one of many who were caught in the middle of the violent insurrection at the US Capitol and now fears a repeat of that infamous day, leaving him outraged with those notable government names who continue to downplay what he and his fellow officers went through that day.
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The Capitol police officer recently spoke with NPR in a new interview and told of the “horrific” year he’s experienced trying to recuperate from his injuries and mental trauma hailing from the infamous riot, all while he continually runs into Congressmembers who still continue to peddle Donald Trump’s Big Lie that got this whole thing started.
“We risked our lives to give them enough time to get to safety. And allegedly, some of them were in communication with some of the rioters and with some of the coordinators or in the know of what would happen,” Gonell said. “And it makes you question their motives and their loyalty for the country, as we were battling the mob in a brutal battle where I could have lost my life and my dear fellow officers, as well.”
But the Capitol officer didn’t stop there. Gonell went on to fume at the US congressmen and women who have blatantly and publicly minimized the Capitol siege after they themselves were left “running for their lives” while he and his fellow officers ran towards the frontline to hold off the mob and protect the Capitol building and those inside it. But Gonell’s biggest bone to pick was with the former Vice President Mike Pence, who recently, very publicly declared that Democrats and the media “want to use that one day to try and demean the character and intentions of 74 million Americans.”
Now, don’t forget here that Mike Pence himself was heavily targeted by the Capitol rioter mod who ran through the streets and the building demanding to have the Vice President “hanged” for refusing to try to overturn the Electoral College votes in Joe Biden’s favor. Since then, former President Trump has shown a complete disregard for his former right-hand man and his life and well-being, even going so far as to defend the supporters of his who chanted “hang Mike Pence!”
Gonell made it clear what he thinks about Mike Pence following his recent public statement:
That one day in January almost cost my life. And we did everything possible to prevent [Pence] from being hanged and killed in front of his daughter and his wife. And now he’s telling us that that one day in January doesn’t mean anything. It’s pathetic. It’s a disgrace. He swore an oath to the country, not to Donald Trump.”
The Capitol officer went on to express his disdain for the lack of severe punishment he’s seen among those who participated in the riot and made it clear that he is not alone in his fear that there will be a repeat of such an event.
“A lot of the officers have in mind the possibility of this being a recurring annual or every four-year thing, which is why officers like myself are being outspoken about it, because we don’t want to go through this again,” Gonell stated. “It’s mind-boggling to hear some of the things that are coming from some of these elected officials. But at the end of the day, our job is to make them safe and make their work environment safer, regardless of our opinion or political affiliation.”
You can read the full interview from NPR here.
Featured image via screen capture
