Michael Fanone, the now former officer with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department who was injured while helping defend the Capitol during the violence of January 6, 2021, spoke during a recent CNN interview against the (Republican) elected officials who continue to propagate deception.
He was specifically speaking in the context of the deception about U.S. electoral practices that led to the Capitol riot, which was tied to a series of deaths and during which the lives of many others were overtly threatened. “Hang Mike Pence!” some chanted. The underlying idea used as the excuse and fuel was that of widespread election fraud — something never, ever proven in a court of law or at any other level of government by an established, accepted authority, though some continue to push the false claims anyway. Donald Trump still maintains he was the victim of such misconduct, and allies of his like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) pay the notion lip service on a regular basis.
CNN host Kaitlan Collins asked Fanone specifically about a Proud Boys defendant who had expressed contrition, though one from the group who did so (Dominic Pezzola) proclaimed “Trump won!” after his own sentencing was concluded. “I appreciate the fact that he’s had his ‘come to Jesus’ moment when threatened with more than a decade in prison,” Fanone told Collins. “But unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have the influence on other Trump supporters and MAGA supporters and other elected members of our government who continue to peddle the lies, knowing full well at this point — having no excuse not to — that this is the result, that it inspires violence, and that it inspires individuals to threaten fellow Americans over things that they know are not true.”
As recently as August 15, Greene explicitly pushed yet again the false claim that the 2020 election was decided by fraud, though she did so in a roundabout fashion. “The radical left has been trying to destroy free speech by telling you that you can’t say things like this: “The election was stolen.” “Trump won.” “Voting machines can be hacked to change votes and steal elections.” “Mass absentee ballot mailings created massive election fraud,”” she deceptively ranted.
Officer Fanone weighs in after two leaders of the Proud Boys were sentenced to 17 and 15 years in prison today, some of the longest sentences stemming from the Capitol attack. pic.twitter.com/rASACcevbR
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 1, 2023
