- Republican Senator Ron Johnson suggested that Nancy Pelosi be responsible for the Capitol rebellion.
- Johnson said that Trump’s impeachment is being used to “deflect” Pelosi’s guilt.
- Trump’s impeachment trial, where he is accused of inciting insurrection, begins Tuesday.
- Visit the Insider Business section for more stories.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said on Sunday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was to blame for the US Capitol riot, not President Donald Trump.
Johnson made the accusation in an interview on Sunday with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, where he discussed former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, which is due to begin on Tuesday.
Trump was impeached a second time on January 13, with House legislators voting to accuse him of inciting supporters to attack the Capitol in a speech he delivered earlier.
The violence led to the evacuation of lawmakers who ratified the results of the November elections and left five dead.
While some Republicans spoke out against Trump, others continued to firmly defend him. One element of this was the attempt to shift the blame elsewhere.
While trying to defend Trump, Johnson said the impeachment was part of a plot to divert attention from Pelosi and what she “knew” before the turmoil.
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 7, 2021
“Is this another diverse operation? Is it to divert what the speaker potentially knew and when she knew it? I don’t know, but I’m suspicious,” said Johnson of Pelosi.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows also tried to shift the blame for Trump’s mutiny on the network on Sunday.
—Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) February 7, 2021
He said, “I can say that they [the Capitol Police] do a tremendous job, but they need to be empowered to do that job and there are many resources available to help them in their efforts, “said Meadows.
“And some of those decisions were not made properly in my opinion and those decisions did not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but from across Pennsylvania Avenue,” he continued.
That reference was to the United States Capitol, where Pelosi is one of the most senior officers.
The allegations appear to echo social media posts by Trump supporters following the riot that went viral, blaming Pelosi for the violation.
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The mayor has no role in the Capitol’s day-to-day policing operations, the Associated Press reported in a fact-check of the allegations.
“Nobody oversees the USCP [US Capitol Police] – the oversight apparatus includes representation from the Capitol architect, the House and Senate weapons sergeants, as well as committees from both houses of Congress, “said Bee Barnett, director of communications and programs for the U.S. Capitol Historical Society , the agency .
Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, in testimony to Congress in January, apologized to lawmakers for the security lapse that allowed Trump supporters to violate the Capitol.
She took charge of the agency days after the attack, which led to the resignation of former chief Steven Sund.
In a video message last week, Pittman said a full overhaul was being conducted on the security of the Capitol complex after the riot, with three security officers losing their jobs due to the failures.