Somehow, it’s become controversial — at least in some contexts — to support the officers who defended the Capitol on January 6 against rampaging Trump supporters. Prominent Fox hosts like Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham have publicly derided certain officers, and privately, Trump himself has apparently lashed out against the personnel. According to The Daily Beast, Trump has privately referred to certain officers as “pussies” — although their very lives were threatened as they worked to defend the Capitol and the people inside. This week, ret. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman publicly spoke out in support of officers including the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s Michael Fanone.
Fanone was among the law enforcement personnel at the Capitol that day, and amid the violence, he — like scores of other officers — was assaulted by Trump supporters. Fanone was beaten and repeatedly tased, and he suffered a heart attack in connection to his injuries. In the time since, Fanone has become outspoken regarding his experiences, and he was one of four officers who testified at a recent hearing of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot. Alongside a photo of himself and Fanone, Vindman wrote on Twitter as follows:
‘I so admire this man. He and his fellow police officer[s] held the line and defended democracy. Michael Fanone you are a hero.’
I so admire this man. He and his fellow police officer held the line and defended democracy. Michael Fanone you are a hero. #HereRightMatters pic.twitter.com/KdgJf7eoSb
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) August 4, 2021
During that recent public hearing of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot, Fanone insisted, with fitting passion, that the “indifference” shown to his colleagues in the aftermath of the violence has been “disgraceful.” Sure, Republicans like to parade themselves as supporters of law enforcement, but now that there are law enforcement personnel who could use support — so many of these Republicans have suddenly shied away. Fanone also said during that hearing that “what makes the struggle harder and more painful is to know so many of my fellow citizens, including so many of the people I put my life at risk to defend, are downplaying or outright denying what happened,” adding that “nothing” prepared him “to address those elected members of our government who continue to deny the events of that day and in doing so betray their oath of office.”
Check out those comments below:
Fanone pounds the table as he says, "the indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful!"
"Nothing has prepared me to address those elected members of our government who continue to deny the events of that day and in doing so betray their oath of office," he adds pic.twitter.com/LrJOxT0ueh
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 27, 2021
