Rep. Paul Gosar defends the 'peaceful patriots' who rioted on Jan. 6

Fresh off of cozying up to white nationalists and QAnon kooks, Rep. Paul Gosar on Wednesday delivered a spirited defense of the victims of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nation’s Capitol.

The rioters, that would be.

During a House hearing on the events of Jan. 6, Gosar chastised the FBI for having the nerve to ask the public’s help in tracking down what he called “peaceful patriots” and he demanded the security footage of what occurred before and during the riot.  

“Such footage would provide answers that would contain exculpatory evidence regarding outrageous accusations against members of Congress,” he said, “and most importantly, exonerate the many Americans who peacefully protested and never set foot in the Capitol.”

Were they victims or instigators?

Like the ones who dragged police officers down the Capitol steps and beat them with metal flagpoles and hockey sticks as the mob chanted “USA USA USA”?

The ones armed with wooden clubs and bear spray and knives and stun guns?

Early on, Gosar told us they were probably Antifa agitators.

Now, it seems they were peaceful protesters merely exercising their free speech rights when they stormed the Capitol.

And Ashli Babbitt? Total victim.

“She was wrapped in a U.S. flag,” Gosar said, before asking former acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, “Who executed Ashli Babbitt?”

Babbitt, 35, of San Diego, was shot by a Capitol police officer as she attempted to break into the Speaker’s Lobby, deep inside the Capitol, while members of the House were being evacuated. Wearing a Trump flag as a cape, she attempted to crawl through a broken window in the barricaded doorway as officers ordered rioters to stop.

No charges were brought against the police officer, a decision that leads Gosar to suspect a conspiracy.

Gosar smells a conspiracy. He always does

As if Gosar doesn’t always suspect a conspiracy.

Arizona’s biggest congressional crackpot has long lurked there on the party’s dark outer fringe, but since President Donald Trump’s loss he has become absolutely unhinged.

He gave the keynote speech at a rally of white nationalists, courted QAnon and even worked briefly with Marjorie Taylor Green to form an “America First Caucus,” to make America great again one Anglo-Saxon at a time.

And now, coming to the aid and comfort of insurrectionists who, in Gosar’s world, are victims.

“My constituents demand answers,” he said on Wednesday. “But the truth is being censored and covered up. As a result, the (Justice Department) is harassing peaceful patriots across the country.”

So much for blue lives mattering

Five people died as a result of the insurrection, including Babbitt and Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. Early police reports indicated Sicknick was bashed in the head with a fire extinguisher but it was later determined that he collapsed after being assaulted with pepper spray during the attack.

The Washington medical examiner said Sicknick suffered two strokes and died from natural causes but later told the Washington Post that “all that transpired played a role in his condition.” Two men have been charged in the assault.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Gosar asked Rosen if Sicknick was killed by a fire extinguisher.

“Officer Sicknick was there acting in the line of duty and went into harm's way,” Rosen replied. “And I think as others have said, he acted as one of many heroes on that day, so --"

"He died of natural causes," Gosar said, cutting him off.

So much for blue lives mattering.

Gosar is predictably horrified … that the FBI is tracking down suspected rioters.

“Outright propaganda and lies are being used to unleash the national security state against law-abiding U.S. citizens, especially Trump voters,” Gosar said. “The FBI is fishing through homes of veterans and citizens with no criminal record and restricting the liberties of individuals who have never been accused of a crime." 

Luckily, it's no crime to lie to Congress

Yeah, how dare the FBI go in search of these fine patriots for whom there is photographic and video evidence that suggests they violated federal law?

It’s only natural that Gosar would come to their defense.

Gosar himself was heavily involved in the Stop the Steal movement and according to Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander, he was one of three congressmen who helped plan the Jan. 6 rally in an effort to stop Congress from certifying the election results that day.

"We four schemed up of putting maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting," Alexander said in a since-deleted video.  Gosar denies it, as do Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama. 

Gosar was actually on the House floor waxing on about Arizona’s stolen election when Babbitt and her fellow “peaceful patriots” were attempting to break into the joint.

“Over 400,000 mail-in ballots were altered, switched from President Trump to Vice President Biden or completely erased from President Trump's total,” Gosar declared, just seconds before the session was halted.

Luckily for Gosar, it is apparently not a federal crime to flat out lie to Congress.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

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