Videos show ally of Marjorie Taylor Greene among mob inside Capitol during January 6 riot by Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck CNN Updated 5:28 PM ET, Wed March 24, 2021
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These are the key moments from the US Capitol riot 04:47
(CNN)Footage from the January 6 riot at the US Capitol shows a close ally of Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene inside the building.
CNN previously reported that Anthony Aguero, a conservative live-streamer, activist and associate of Greene, said on video following the riot that he had been among those who entered the building.
At the time of that February report, Aguero declined to answer if he had been inside when pressed by CNN. He claimed videos later posted to social media accounts from both inside the Capitol and outside were not his, but screen recorded from others.
The publicly posted videos of the riot reviewed by CNN's KFile are now the first visual confirmation that Aguero went inside the building. Aguero previously confirmed to CNN that he was at the Capitol on January 6 and said he was an "independent journalist" there reporting the events.
Aguero, however, appears to have never uploaded any footage he took inside the Capitol to Facebook or Instagram. And in videos previously reported on by CNN, he can be heard chanting "heave ho" as rioters were attempting to break in on the West Side of the Capitol. In a comment, Aguero wrote "MAGA" under the video. Later, Aguero can be heard chanting "our house" among the Capitol mob on the East Side of the building.
In a video immediately filmed following the riot, Aguero said "a message was sent." He later described those who broke in as "patriots," and commented "#PatriotsSaveAmerica2021! Not Antifa/BLM!!!" in a since-removed comment made immediately following the ransacking of the Capitol by rioters.
The FBI said last month that it had received nearly 200,000 digital tips from the public related to the Capitol riot, mainly from people who documented it. The FBI previously declined to comment on whether it was investigating Aguero in an email to CNN.
Aguero declined to comment and Greene's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Greene, the freshman congresswoman with a history of promoting dangerous and fringe conspiracies and comments, encouraged the big lie that the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump by voting to object to the election's certification. She fanned the flames ahead of the Capitol insurrection by telling her supporters on Twitter to "FIGHT. FOR. TRUMP." On Friday, Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez introduced a resolution to expel Greene from Congress, suggesting that she "advocated violence against our peers, the Speaker and our government."
In a statement last week to CNN, Greene commented on the resolution, saying "House Democrats have declared war on House Republican Women," adding that "Democrats are trying overturn the will of the People who voted for both myself and Congresswoman Miller-Meeks."
Footage shows Aguero inside the Capitol, just inside and just outside the Rotunda near what are known as the Columbus Doors. The historic bronze doors on the East Front of the Capitol, facing the Supreme Court, were first installed in 1863 and sustained damage from rioters who broke into the building through them.
In one video, posted on Instagram, Aguero is briefly seen inside the Rotunda among rioters as they are held back by police. In another video, Aguero appears to be exiting the Rotunda, though it is unclear where he goes because he disappears into the crowd.
A screengrab taken from video shows Anthony Aguero, a conservative livestream and close ally of Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, inside the US Capitol during the insurrection by pro-Trump rioters on January 6, 2020.
It is not clear how long Aguero was in the Capitol, or where he entered.
Some protesters broke in through the Columbus Doors during the riot. Later, other footage shows Aguero standing outside the building, near the doors.
The exact timing of those videos is unclear, though one publicly posted video lists the time Aguero was exiting the Rotunda as just after 3 p.m ET. The first rioters entered the building around 2:15pm on the West Side of the building and a video posted by Aguero shows him cheering on what appears to be the initial break in on the West Side of the Capitol facing the National Mall.
Footage shows the Columbus Doors were first forced open around what is time stamped as 2:30 p.m. A video posted by Aguero on Facebook on January 6 shows him standing outside the East Front of the Capitol chanting "our house," among the rioters.
In a since-deleted livestream from another conservative live-streamer, Aguero is seen standing near the steps on what appears to be the eastern side of the Capitol after the Capitol was breached.
In videos posted following the Capitol riot, Aguero repeatedly boasted about entering the building and attacked those who claimed it was the work of "Antifa."
"A message was sent," Aguero said in the video streamed live on January 6 while walking away from the Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue following the riot. "These politicians are not going to continue to get away with the abuse as they've been doing. We will continue to press on these individuals."
"The National Guard has just been called in," he continued. "A woman was shot in the face earlier. There was blood all over the floor. I recorded it for y'all. I could not go live during the whole event because the signal was either jammed purposely or there was just too many, too many people out there. Guys, I was able to make it inside the chambers and I have footage that I'm going to provide for you guys as we made our way in there."
Greene and Aguero have worked closely together over the years on causes such as immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border wall and have attended pro-Trump rallies together. In many since-deleted videos saved by CNN's KFile, Greene repeatedly calls Aguero "amazing" and a "friend." On social media, Aguero has called Greene "one of my closest friends."
Prior to January's riot at the Capitol, Greene was photographed with Aguero in Washington at the "March for Trump" post-election rally, also known as the Million MAGA March, on November 14, 2020, where Greene spoke. Following Greene's speech, Aguero accompanied Greene off the stage in a video of the rally. A November tweet of the pair at the rally was liked by Greene.
CNN's Richard J. Chang contributed to this report.
Black officer on Capitol rioters: 'They hated us and they hated our skin color' by Cameron Jenkins The Hill 03/18/21 06:35 PM EDT
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A Black Capitol police officer in a Wednesday interview recalled the racism he and other Black officers say they faced during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, stating that the rioters "showed that they hated us and they hated our skin color.”
Officer Harry Dunn, who has served on the Capitol police force for 13 years, detailed to CNN host Don Lemon his experience as he tried to protect the Capitol and lawmakers when a mob of former President Trump's supporters breached security that day.
Dunn said that he and other officers were called racial slurs during the attack.
“The Black officer struggle was different," Dunn told Lemon. "We fought against not just people that were, that hated what we represented, but they hate our skin color also. That’s just a fact and they used those words to prove that, they showed that they hated us and they hated our skin color.”
During a previous interview, Dunn said that he was called a racial slur during the riots, and that his fellow officers were beaten with Blue Lives Matter flags. He shared on Wednesday that as the months have gone on, he has had time to discuss the injustices with other Black officers who faced similar treatment.
“And you know why I guess this is a little harder for me now, because at the time I did my first interview, I didn’t know the pain that a lot of my other colleagues had suffered. They shared them with me,” he said.
“[H]ere we are giving so much and putting our lives on the line to protect democracy and keep it and we’re being called racial slurs, traitors, and any just weapon that these people could use because they were upset about something,” he said.
Last week Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said that he did not feel unsafe during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but might have if Black Lives Matter protesters or antifa activists had breached security.
Dunn told Lemon that he could not comment on the senator's remarks, but did maintain that he and other officers faced harm.
"The terrorists there on the 6th, they were there to cause harm and they came prepared for a fight," Dunn said.
The FBI on Thursday released new video of the attack on the Capitol and called on the public to help identify rioters who attacked police.
Prosecutors Allege 'Substantial Evidence' Of Oath Keepers Conspiracy To Storm Capitol by Ryan Lucas npr.org March 25, 20211:28 PM ET
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The founder of the Oath Keepers militia had a 97-second phone call with a senior member of the group who minutes later took part in a military-style "stack" formation with other Oath Keepers to breach the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to federal prosecutors.
The allegation emerged in court papers the Justice Department filed overnight in the case against 10 alleged members or associates of the Oath Keepers facing conspiracy and other charges in connection with the Capitol riot.
Prosecutors allege that the call, along with a series of text messages in an encrypted chat group called "DC OP: Jan 6 21," amount to "substantial evidence" of a conspiracy to try to stop Congress' certification of the Electoral College count.
The filing sheds more light on the actions on Jan. 6 of Stewart Rhodes, who founded the Oath Keepers in 2009. Rhodes is only identified as "Person One" in the document but has been identified as the group's founder in previous court papers.
Rhodes has not been charged in connection with the Capitol insurrection, but the latest court document and previous statements by prosecutors suggest investigators are closely scrutinizing his actions on and around Jan. 6.
In the latest filing, prosecutors allege that Rhodes called Florida Oath Keeper leader Kelly Meggs at 2:32 p.m. on Jan. 6, just as Meggs and several of his associates were getting into a "stack" formation to push up the steps of the Capitol.
It is not clear what the two men spoke about, but prosecutors note that around six minutes later, the militia members who had coalesced into a stack formation "forcibly" entered the Capitol "by pushing past just opened and severely damaged Capitol building doors."
The latest government filing was made to oppose the pretrial release of one of the 10 defendants in the case, Jessica Watkins, who the government says was the leader of an Ohio militia and member of the Oath Keepers.
Prosecutors allege that Watkins was in a chat group on the encrypted messaging app Signal called "DC OP: Jan 6 21" with Meggs, Rhodes and two other Oath Keepers who have been charged over the Capitol riot.
The government says the group used the chat to talk about what weapons to bring to Washington, D.C., about using handheld radios to communicate on Jan. 6 and about the existence of so-called quick reaction forces waiting outside Washington with weapons in case "of worst case scenarios."
In the Signal chat on the day of the riot, prosecutors say shortly after 1 p.m. Rhodes messaged the group: "All I see Trump doing is complaining. I see no intent by him to do anything. So the patriots are taking it into their own hands. They've had enough."
Prosecutors say around 2:15 p.m., one of the chat participants told the group that ground had been taken at the Capitol and "we need to regroup any members who are not on mission," an apparent reference to Oath Keepers who were providing "security" in Washington during the Trump rally.
Around 2:32 p.m., the government says, Rhodes "exchanged a 97 second call with 'stack' member and Florida Oath Keepers leader, Kelly Meggs, as Meggs, Watkins and the rest of the stack embedded themselves among insurgents trying to force open the east side Capitol building double doors that officers were desperately trying to keep shut."
Minutes later, the rioters — including the Oath Keepers — pushed through the doors and into the building.
Around 4 p.m., several of the now-indicted Oath Keepers, including Watkins and Meggs, gathered around Rhodes outside the Capitol.
Around two hours later, Rhodes messaged the Signal chat again, telling the group: "Leaders check to be sure you have all your team members. If anyone is missing, post here."
That evening, Rhodes texted the chat again with a long message that said the most important audience of what happened at the Capitol that day was then-President Donald Trump.
"I hope he got the message," Rhodes wrote.
The government argues that evidence supports the theory that the defendants stormed the Capitol "with the shared objective of using force to upend the transition of presidential power."
Social network Parler says it warned FBI before Capitol riot by Catherine Herridge, Caitlin Yilek CBS NEWS March 26, 2021, 7:44 PM
Parler, a social network popular among conservatives, is claiming that it repeatedly warned the FBI that there could be violence on January 6. The app sent a letter to the House Oversight Committee on Thursday saying it developed "formal lines of communication" with the FBI to refer violent threats made on its platform.
Days and weeks before rioters pushed their way into the U.S. Capitol, Parler says it referred violent content to the FBI more than 50 times, including specific threats being planned.
"Parler even alerted law enforcement to specific threats of violence being planned on the Capitol," the letter said.
One post Parler said it forwarded to the FBI called for an "armed force of 150,000" to "react to the congressional events of January 6th," Parler said. Another read, "This is the final stand" and "I trust the American people will take back the USA with force and many are ready to die." Another post claimed then-President Trump "needs us to cause chaos."
"These referrals represent only a fraction of the dozens of posts with violent rhetoric that Parler collected and forwarded to the FBI for investigation in the days leading up to January 6th," the company said. "Even after the violent attacks stopped, Parler continued to dutifully and proactively report posts to the FBI where users threatened additional violence."
The FBI did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment.
Former Secret Service intelligence analyst Jeff James called the social media posts "inflammatory and concerning."
"You look at, do they have the means? Do they have the opportunity, and do they have the will? And we're reading those posts, it looks like, absolutely, they have all three," he said.
Authorities have connected more than 50 alleged rioters to extremist groups, including the Oath Keepers. Some of those charged say they were following Mr. Trump's orders that day. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump defended the rioters in an interview with Fox News.
"It was zero threat, right from the start, it was zero threat," he said.
But over 100 rioters have been charged with assaulting federal officers or local police during the riot, federal prosecutor Michael Sherwin said in an interview with "60 Minutes." The Justice Department has "over 400 criminal cases" connected to the siege, he said.
Claire Hymes, Cassidy McDonald and Eleanor Watson contributed reporting.
Oath Keeper Leader Jon Schaffer Pleads Guilty in Capitol Attack & Agrees to Cooperate w/Prosecutors by Glenn Kirschner Apr 17, 2021
One of the self-described co-founders of the Oath Keepers Organization, Jon Schaffer, pleaded guilty in federal court in DC to felony charges for attacking the US Capitol with the intent of stopping Congress's certification of the election results. Importantly, Schaffer has agreed to assist the prosecution in its ongoing investigation and to testify in any and all trials against other insurrectionists.
This case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, where I worked for nearly quarter of a century. Here is a behind- the-prosecutorial-scenes look at how prosecutors decide whether to extend a cooperation plea agreement to a defendant.
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Lifetime Founding Member of the Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Breaching Capitol on Jan. 6 to Obstruct Congressional Proceeding by Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, April 16, 2021
WASHINGTON – Jon Schaffer, 53, of Columbus, Indiana, today admitted that he breached the Capitol on January 6, 2021, wearing a tactical vest and armed with bear repellent, and pleaded guilty to unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol to obstruct Congress’ certification of the U.S. presidential election results.
"On this 100th day since the horrific January 6 assault on the United States Capitol, Oath Keepers member Jon Schaffer has pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including for breaching the Capitol while wearing a tactical vest and armed with bear spray, with the intent to interfere with Congress’ certification of the Electoral College results," said Acting Deputy Attorney General John P. Carlin. "The FBI has made an average of more than four arrests a day, seven days a week since January 6th. I commend the hundreds of special agents, prosecutors and support staff that have worked tirelessly for the last hundred days to bring those who committed criminal acts to justice."
"The defendant in this case admits forcing his way into the U.S. Capitol on January 6 for the express purpose of stopping or delaying congressional proceedings essential to our democratic process. These actions are disgraceful and unacceptable" said FBI Deputy Director Paul M. Abbate. "The FBI and our partners will continue to utilize all available authorities to aggressively investigate, pursue and hold accountable those who committed acts of violence or otherwise violated the rule of law that day."
In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member of the Oath Keepers, a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias.
In his plea agreement, Schaffer also acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.
In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol’s west side. At approximately 2:40 PM, Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.
Schaffer pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. Combined, he faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta accepted Schaffer’s guilty plea.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
The charges contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Marjorie Taylor Greene scraps launch of 'America First' caucus after GOP blowback by CNN Apr 19, 2021
Conservative Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her "America First" caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.
Nick Dyer, Greene's spokesperson, told CNN in an email on Saturday afternoon the Georgia Republican is not "launching anything."
"The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved," he said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric.
He added that "she didn't approve that language and has no plans to launch anything."
This is a reversal from Friday, when her office said she would launch the caucus "very soon."
"Be on the look out for the release of the America First Caucus platform when it's announced to the public very soon," Dyer said in a statement to CNN Friday.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene scraps planned launch of controversial 'America First' caucus amid blowback from GOP by Daniella Diaz, CNN Updated 8:45 AM ET, Sun April 18, 2021
(CNN)Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her "America First" caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.
Nick Dyer, Greene's spokesperson, told CNN in an email on Saturday afternoon the Georgia Republican is not "launching anything."
"The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved," he said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric.
He added that "she didn't approve that language and has no plans to launch anything."
This is a reversal from Friday, when her office said she would launch the caucus "very soon."
Greene in a series of tweets Saturday afternoon also claimed that the staff-level draft proposal of her "America First" caucus is "from an outside group that I hadn't read." She also accused the media of creating "false narratives" and focusing on race to "divide the American people with hate through identity politics."
Greene suggested in her tweets she plans to move forward with advocating for former President Donald Trump's America First agenda.
The flier promoting the new caucus calls for a "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" and pushes a series of conspiracy theories about election integrity.
The flier also outlined a nativist argument warning that "mass immigration" poses a threat to "the long-term existential future of America as a unique country with a unique culture and a unique identity."
Congressional caucuses are voluntary groups usually made up of lawmakers seeking to advance certain policy agendas. While the groups operate outside of the formal congressional legislative structure, many have found success influencing debate and amplifying their shared policy prescriptions.
On Friday, amid news reports of the caucus, Dyer complained about the initial draft of the flier being leaked but confirmed to CNN in a statement that plans were in the works to form the group, which he said would be "announced to the public very soon."
The reversal from her office comes a day after top House Republican Kevin McCarthy indirectly referenced the congresswoman's new caucus, tweeting, "The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans—not nativist dog whistles."
And GOP conference chair Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, responded to the reporting about the new caucus from Greene in a tweet.
"Republicans believe in equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all. We teach our children the values of tolerance, decency and moral courage," she wrote. "Racism, nativism, and anti-Semitism are evil. History teaches we all have an obligation to confront & reject such malicious hate."
Embattled GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who is under federal investigation over allegations involving sex trafficking and prostitution, tweeted Friday, "I'm proud to join @mtgreenee in the #AmericaFirst Caucus. We will end wars, stop illegal immigration & promote trade that is fair to American workers. This is just a hit piece from the America Last crowd in Big Media, Big Tech & Big Government."
Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, a Republican, denied his involvement in plans to launch an "America First" caucus and wrote in a statement Saturday he will "continue to work on America First issues in the House Freedom Caucus." Punchbowl News had reported Gosar had been involved with the caucus.
He claimed on Saturday that he first heard of the flier when he read the report by Punchbowl.
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said that he was "disgusted" following initial reports of the new caucus, and on Friday said that anyone who joins the caucus should have their committee assignments stripped and be expelled from Republican conference participation.
"While we can't prevent someone from calling themselves Republican, we can loudly say they don't belong to us," he wrote on Twitter.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN's Ali Main, Veronica Stracqualursi, Annie Grayer, Ryan Nobles and Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene launching 'America First' caucus pushing for 'Anglo-Saxon political tradition' by Daniella Diaz, Annie Grayer, Ryan Nobles and Paul LeBlanc, CNN Updated 3:37 PM ET, Sat April 17, 2021
Washington (CNN)Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is launching a new "America First" caucus, her office confirmed Friday, bringing together a group of far-right lawmakers known for their controversial rhetoric.
Punchbowl News obtained a flier promoting the new caucus, which calls for a "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" and pushes a series of conspiracy theories about election integrity. The flier also outlined a nativist argument warning that "mass immigration" poses a threat to "the long-term existential future of America as a unique country with a unique culture and a unique identity."
A spokesperson for Greene, Nick Dyer, complained about the initial draft of the flier being leaked but confirmed to CNN in a statement that plans were in the works to form the group, which will be "announced to the public very soon."
Dyer on Saturday, however, told CNN in an email that Greene is not "launching anything." The congresswoman is scrapping the planned launch of her "America First" caucus after receiving blow back from leaders in her own party.
Embattled GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who is under federal investigation over allegations involving sex trafficking and prostitution, tweeted Friday, "I'm proud to join @mtgreenee in the #AmericaFirst Caucus. We will end wars, stop illegal immigration & promote trade that is fair to American workers. This is just a hit piece from the America Last crowd in Big Media, Big Tech & Big Government."
Congressional caucuses are voluntary groups usually made up of lawmakers seeking to advance certain policy agendas. While the groups operate outside of the formal congressional legislative structure, many have found success influencing debate and amplifying their shared policy prescriptions.
CNN has reached out to Republican Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona, Louie Gohmert of Texas and Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, whom Punchbowl News reported to be involved in the caucus.
A spokesperson for Moore told CNN in a statement, "Congressman Moore wholeheartedly supports President Trump's America First agenda and policies that prioritize hardworking Americans. He will not agree to join any caucus until he's had an opportunity to research their platform, which he has not had the chance to do so with the America First Caucus and therefore has not joined."
The lawmakers are known to be on the extreme far-right fringes of the GOP, and their rhetoric is often designed to grab headlines. The rhetoric surrounding protecting the American identity and "uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" ties into a toxic argument with a racist legacy that immigrants are "replacing" Americans who were born in the United States.
Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania evoked a similar argument during a subcommittee hearing earlier this week set to examine why those from Central American countries comprise a disproportionate number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border.
"For many Americans, what seems to be happening or what they believe right now is happening is what appears to them is we're replacing national-born American — native-born Americans to permanently transform the political landscape of this very nation," Perry said.
Similar comments were also recently made by Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, underscoring how certain Republican lawmakers and right-wing media personalities are echoing and thus potentially legitimizing arguments that have been made by White nationalists and nativists for years.
The House voted in February to remove Greene, a freshman from Georgia, from her committee assignments after reports of her comments surfaced showing her encouragement of political violence, suggesting that the Parkland, Florida, school shooting was a "false flag" operation and conspiratorial claim that a space laser controlled by Jewish financiers started a California wildfire in 2018.
She has tried to make a name for herself being an outsider and a rabble rouser and routinely uses parliamentary procedures to slow down House floor business, much to the dismay of her colleagues.
'An existential threat': The Republicans calling for their party to reject QAnon conspiracy theories 'An existential threat': The Republicans calling for their party to reject QAnon conspiracy theories But the tactics have helped her win support on the far right, and just this week her campaign announced she had raised $3.2 million in the first three months in office - an astonishing amount for a freshman member.
Following news of the new caucus Wednesday, GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois tweeted, "Just when I was hoping to take a long weekend away from crazy I see this."
"Completely disgusted," he said.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, tweeted Friday afternoon, "The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans—not nativist dog whistles."
GOP conference chair Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, responded to the reporting about the new caucus from Greene in a tweet.
"Republicans believe in equal opportunity, freedom, and justice for all. We teach our children the values of tolerance, decency and moral courage," she wrote. "Racism, nativism, and anti-Semitism are evil. History teaches we all have an obligation to confront & reject such malicious hate."
This story has been updated with additional comments from Dyer on Saturday.
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America First Caucus Policy Platform Est. 2021
The America First Caucus (AFC) exists to promote Congressional policies that are to the long-term benefit of the American nation. The North Star of any policy proposal will be that which serves the American people, and any consequential analysis of policy platforms must be based on this first principle.
As this implies a degree of ideological flexibility, a certain intellectual boldness is needed amongst members of the AFC to follow in President Trump’s footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation. Policy areas as far ranging as foreign intervention, economic development, immigration, trade, tech regulation and social policy need to be re-examined from the ground up to ensure that what remains keeps the interest of Americans at heart.
It is the firm belief of this Caucus that American policy-making needs to get back to first principles, restore a long-term time horizon amongst our nation’s leaders, and instill a greatly internalized sense of service to the American people on part of our elected leaders. As long as these principles are put and kept in practice, the interests of the American people will be safeguarded.
Election Fraud
The AFC is in support of nationwide systemic electoral reform. Both Democrats and Republicans have pointed out for years the systemic failures in our election tabulation. A Republic that relies on elections must ensure its elections are fair and transparent. There is a growing consensus that both objectives have failed.
Recent election results demonstrate a compromised integrity of our elections and made our election system a subject of global mockery. Across the country federal elections have been undermined by using voting machines that are readily compromised and illegally accessed whereby results appear manipulated, voters are disenfranchised, and faith in our system eroded.
Mail-in voting, long recognized as subject to fraud, has become normalized. We will work towards an end to mail-in voting, implementation of national voter ID and substantive investigations into mass voter fraud perpetrated during the 2020 election.
Sovereignty
America was founded on the basis of individual and state sovereignty, to ensure that no free American would be lorded over by a Monarch ever again. Unfortunately, bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. and the elites who control them have risen to form a new oligarchy — one that is far more decadent, corrosive and hostile to the will of the people than the Founders could have ever dreamed of. This is why sovereignty is of paramount importance to the AFC.
We will work to divest power from the federal government and give it back to the states and the people to restore the balance of federalism. We believe in, and will fight for, the principles of federalism and decentralization of political power; the government closest to the people is the best equipped to handle their concerns. At the federal level, this means exposing deep state actors, shrinking the regulatory state, and eliminating thousands of regulations and indeed entire bureaucracies.
Big Tech
Silicon Valley tech firms have become the most powerful arbiters of information in the history of mankind. The treasure trove of data they have collected from Americans have given them powers that would make a Soviet dictator blush. We have seen these powers weaponized and deployed against conservatives in recent years, even as Big Tech firms continue to allow terrorists and pedophiles to organize and publish on their platforms. This represents an egregious offense against the First Amendment and the values enshrined within it. The America First Caucus is calling for a solution that starts with reform of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
Immigration
The America First Caucus recognizes that our country is more than a mass of consumers or a series of abstract ideas. America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions. History has shown that societal trust and political unity are threatened when foreign citizens are imported en-masse into a country, particularly without institutional support for assimilation and an expansive welfare state to bail them out should they fail to contribute positively to the country. While certain economic and financial interest groups benefit immensely from mass immigration, legal as well as illegal, and the aggregate output of the country increases, the reality of large segments of our society as well as the long-term existential future of America as a unique country with a unique culture and a unique identity being put at unnecessary risk is something our leaders can afford to ignore no longer.
As such, America’s legal immigration system should be curtailed to those that can contribute not only economically, but have demonstrated respect for this nation’s culture and rule of law. America’s borders must be defended, and illegal immigration must be stopped without exception.
Moreover, we cannot ignore the impact that mass immigration has on reducing job opportunities and depreciating wages for Americans. Further restricting immigration would ensure that American jobs go to American workers. The econometric evidence and consensus amongst labor economists is that in addition to being a substantial net drain on the public purse, post-1965 immigrants decrease the capital-to-labor ratio within the national economy, thereby causing a massive shift in the gains of the economy from wage earners to the shareholders and owners of large firms.
An important distinction between post-1965 immigrants and previous waves of settlers is that previous cohorts were more educated, earned higher wages, and did not have an expansive welfare state to fall back on when they could not make it in America and thus did not stay in the country at the expense of the native-born. Another important point of note is the many pauses in immigration that have taken place in this country following a large intake of immigrants. These pauses have been absolutely essential in assimilating the new arrivals and weeding out those who could not or refused to abandon their old loyalties and plunge head-first into mainstream American society.
A measure of a country’s greatness is the value recognized in being a citizen. As such, we cannot tarnish this important designation by rewarding those who failed to follow our laws at the expense of those who have, which is why amnesty must be rejected in all forms. Additionally, we must abolish unnaturalized birthright citizenship, which actively encourages hostile interests to undermine the legitimacy of democratic self-governance by engaging in subversive “birth tourism” and chain migration. Lastly, federally imposed refugee resettlement programs should be rejected due both to disruption to small communities and the corruption rampant within these programs.
Infrastructure
The America First Caucus will work towards an infrastructure that reflects the architectural, engineering and aesthetic value that befits the progeny of European architecture, whereby public infrastructure must be utilitarian as well as stunningly, classically beautiful, befitting a world power and source of freedom. As the Romans demonstrated with aqueducts, walls and roads, function and beauty are not at odds. Federally funded infrastructure, including roads, buildings, airports, seaports, bridges, should demonstrate a pride of workmanship. A bridge is not merely something to cross from side A to side B, it is a connection among peoples.
Infrastructure is one of the few areas where the federal government should exercise its constitutional authority. For decades, America has been sending trillions of dollars out the door to support the infrastructure of other nations—even to countries that hate the United—with nothing to show for it. Simultaneously, our domestic infrastructure is failing, crumbling and decaying from within. This Caucus will work to direct as much money as possible to our domestic infrastructure needs.
Dilapidated roads and bridges should be rebuilt, dams and wastewater plants must be secured, borders secured, drinking water systems improved, amongst other much needed additional investments. The America First Caucus knows that these projects impact the daily lives of American citizens.
Foreign Aid
Whether it is aid for humanitarian or military purposes, sending taxpayer money outside of the nation is generally an unwise undertaking and an entanglement that rarely provides any benefit to our citizens. Often, these funds end up in the wrong hands, are squandered through corruption, or go toward the pet projects of liberal interventionists. With so many unmet needs in the United States, helping other countries with their infrastructure, their military, their immigration problems and their economies makes no sense.
American tax dollars should not go toward teaching gender studies in Pakistan or supporting ideologically subversive non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Taxpayer money should be spent at home, allowing individual Americans to make charitable contributions to those around the world in need. The America First Caucus believes that the American people are the most kind and charitable in the world, and they would be far better at allocating their own money than having corrupt bureaucrats play around with it.
National Security
For far too long, a hawkish neoconservative foreign policy has been the default for the American Right. This has resulted in America being bogged-down in endless conflicts with trillion-dollar price tags in addition to having thousands of American heroes losing their lives as a result. Meanwhile, our nation’s infrastructure and our border security have been traitorously neglected.
Decades in Afghanistan have accomplished little except to enrich defense contractors and empower the military-industrial complex. The people of Afghanistan have endured an endless parade of violence typically with one side funded by our tax dollars. Regime change operations in Iraq and Libya have proved disastrous, while doing nothing to keep Americans safe. Indeed, after the Obama Administration used our military to topple Libyan President Qadafi, Libya has turned into a failed state where there are open slave markets, lawlessness and chaos. What was once a functioning state is now a failed state, because of Obama’s intervention. This is not what our military was meant for.
The America First Caucus recognizes that America can no longer afford to be the world’s policeman. Instead of endless interventions, bold diplomatic endeavors must be undertaken with countries such as Russia and North Korea to ensure a more peaceful and stable world. America should not be sacrificing blood and treasure while our so-called allies refuse to pull their weight in contributing toward neutralizing threatening actors in the world. America must remain a free and independent Republic, not a globalist watchdog.
Coronavirus
Ever since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus originating from China and the first known case of coronavirus in the United States on Jan 21, 2020, the United States government and health organizations issued guidelines and policies that would hinder and destroy the American economy in many ways. These guidelines, which includes mask mandates and social distancing rules, are socially conditioning the culture and behavior of Americans. Additionally, to truly enforce social distancing and hopefully diminish the spread of the disease, many state governors have decided to lockdown their states, meaning that businesses deemed ‘non essential’ are not allowed to open and provide service. Together, these policies and guidelines have ruined many businesses to bankruptcy such that many Americans are left unemployed and potentially destitute. Social problems, including suicide and divorce, have escalated because state governors, which the encouragement of the CDC, have locked down families. At the time the virus landed in the United States, there was not a lot known about the new disease. Now, a year later, there is much research and data.
It is essential to discontinue the lockdowns, remove capacity restrictions and allow businesses to continue operations. Now that the damage is done, many Americans are in need of assistance to pay their bills: the government should thus effectively provide direct financial support to improve the livelihood of Americans. The America First Caucus will work to make sure we do not overreact to a pandemic in this same way again.
Trade
Ever since the end of the Second World War, the sine qua non of being a conservative has been to support unrestricted international trade. The main intellectual justification of this has been The Theory of Comparative Advantage, which was first proposed by David Richardo over two centuries ago. One key flaw that has been overlooked by establishment Republicans and Democrats alike is that the theory assumes negligible movement of capital and labor across borders. The absence of such a condition today, combined with the shift in commercial priorities from productivity and innovation to cost cutting, has meant that free international trade simply serves to homogenize living standards around the world. It should hardly come as a surprise that the transfer of wealth to millions in the Western Pacific has resulted in millions being kicked out of the middle class in the North Atlantic.
Free trade accomplishes many of the same nefarious economic goals that mass immigration does. Essentially, it allows capital to search for markets with the lowest capital-to-labor ratios that will allow it in, which in turn allows this capital to exact higher returns by exploiting the relative excess of labor that exist in the third world, transforming these countries into essentially industrial plantations run by semi-slaves. At the same time, workers in capital-exporting countries such as America have less bargaining power because of the decrease in capital, which puts massive downward pressure on their wages and benefits, assuming they even manage to hold on to their jobs. Not only is this devastating to their standard of living, but the lack of meaningful work in the production of tangible goods serves to eviscerate any sense of dignity and worth these workers and their families had, resulting in the myriad of social ills we see in rural America today, such as the opioid epidemic.
There are also non-economic considerations that have been neglected in the debate on trade, namely the issue of national security. In such a globalized economic system, supply chains for even the most basic and essential goods are spread to the four corners of the globe. This only makes sense from a purely short-term monetary point of view. While this form of production might be profitable to specific firms in the short-run, it is an unmitigated disaster to the long-term interests of many countries, including our own. Any hiccup in the global supply chain can result in massive supply shocks around the world, a reality that was glaringly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The fact that any section of our food and medical supply chains are located in China, our greatest geopolitical adversary, would have been considered treasonous not too long ago.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle have outsourced America’s manufacturing for decades, offshoring jobs, deflating wages and destroying communities, particularly in rural America. Under these bad ‘free trade’ deals, other countries have also placed strict restrictions on U.S. exports entering their borders. The America First Caucus believes it is time to stop worshipping at the altar of idealized free trade, and actually deliver for American workers. We call for a new approach to trade that prioritizes American workers, treats U.S. exporters more fairly, imposes tariffs and import restrictions where necessary to protect our vital industries, and holds malevolent state actors—especially China—accountable for violating our trade laws on issues ranging from intellectual property left to forced technology transfers. Every new free trade agreement considered by Congress should be thoroughly assessed in order to ensure it benefits our country’s manufacturers and workers.
We also cannot forget that jobs are personal—they impact individuals and families in unique and specific ways. Pretending that rising GDP or faster access to higher-quality products is always better than meaningful work for American workers and their families is a betrayal of our values and demonstrates complete ignorance of long-term consequences.
Environment
Conservation of the nation we live in is an important aspect of American nationalism. Since the 1980s, climate change, formerly known as global warming, has become a hot button political issue. The America First Caucus supports conservation of the environment and our national lands for the benefit of our nation. Having said that, we should not cripple our country’s manufacturing sector through agreements such as the Paris Climate Accords. We oppose the globalist, vague, and irrelevant policies being pushed under the guise of combating climate change. If Americans want to conserve the environment, they should push for better waste management and other substantive remedies, not wasteful social justice programs like the Green New Deal.
Environmentalism also includes proper allocation of resources. Fishermen and hunters have legitimate, and culturally deep, ties to the land. Gold mines, copper mines and oil wells contribute to our modern lifestyle. All of these are to be balanced with preserving opportunities for hiking, camping and enjoying the visual beauty of our lands. On federal lands where the impact on local farmers and ranchers would be minimal, rewilding initiatives, including megafauna reintroductions, should also be explored, creating new opportunities for business and tourism
Energy
While it is vital to preserve our environment, we should not use it as an impetus to destroy the energy industry that hires millions of hard-working Americans. Our elected officials should stand proudly with America’s struggling coal country against job-killing regulations, and welcome the ongoing shift towards clean coal. In addition, the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines will promote North American energy independence and allow the United States to more easily extricate itself from the conflicts of the Middle East. Moreover, hydraulic fracking technology, when used appropriately, can provide more affordable oil and gas for Americans, and therefore any attempts to ban this practice on a national level should be resisted. The America First Caucus supports innovation in green energy, such as in the form of nuclear energy. However, it is important to closely scrutinize and reduce taxpayer subsidies for wasteful green energy projects that fail to deliver the required return on investment for the American people.
Protecting the Value of American Savings
Since the 1940s, the American dollar has been the global reserve currency, a position which has greatly benefitted the real American economy by strengthening the purchasing power of wages and savings. Unfortunately, the strength of America’s monetary position has been under attack for decades by Keynesian economists domestically, and by globalist institutions looking to enhance China’s position on the global stage. We must oppose international currency manipulation and its detrimental long-term impacts for the American economy and U.S. dollar. We must protect the rights of Americans to best position themselves for a changing economy by promoting the development of cryptocurrency companies domestically, and defend the rights of Americans to hold private stores of wealth – including gold, silver, and other blockchain-based currencies like Bitcoin.
America First Education
The 20th Century saw the decline in many vital American institutions. None has been more damaging to the United States than our education system. The increased consolidation of educational spending came with it the ability for powerful left-wing special interest groups to redirect the focus away from preparing future generations of national talent to progessive indoctrination and enrichment of an out-of-control elite oligarchy. Even worse, our education has worked to actively undermine pride in America’s great history and is actively hostile to the civic and cultural assimilation necessary for a strong nation. The future of America’s position in the world depends on addressing the crisis in education, at both the primary and secondary level.
The Chinese Communist Party
Not since the fall of the Soviet Union has America faced a civilizational challenge from another state actor quite like the modern Chinese Communist Party (CCP). While the liberalization of the Chinese government in the 90’s and early 2000s gave hope that the CCP was moving in the direction of being a peaceful and beneficial actor on the world stage, the Xi-era has been one defined by the dangerous resurrection of Neo-Maoist thinking.
Unfortunately, American corporations – following federal policies that have actively incentivized investment outside of the US – have chosen to place short-term financial interests at the expense of basic human decency. In doing so, we must confront a dangerous new reality where much of America’s soft power is actively siding with an increasingly hostile-global actor, at the same time America’s military has been mismanaged into overextending itself in the sands of the Middle East.
We must also check against any globalist institutions that increasingly laud the authoritarian nature of the CCP as a model for future governance, and not a terrifying rejection of civilized society. Furthermore, we understand that the rise of China means that the United States must be prepared militarily and economically to compete with a peer-competitor.
PA Republican Who Objected to Trump’s Election Loss Has Concluded That Fraud Was Committed… By Republicans By Ken Meyer MediaIte Apr 22nd, 2021, 9:41 am
In an interesting twist, Pennsylvania House representative Seth Grove has admitted that Republicans were responsible for voter fraud in the state during the 2020 election.
Grove, who is also the chairman of the PA House State Government Committee, was among the Republicans who wanted Congress to reject the results from his state during the 2020 election. He conducted multiple hearings to question the state’s results in favor of Joe Biden, took part in events that revolved around election conspiracy theories, and spearheaded a letter that claimed administrative actions and legal rulings “undermined the lawful certification of Pennsylvania’s delegation to the Electoral College.”
The Pennsylvania Capital-Star interviewed Grove to ask him about the 10 hearings he conducted on the 2020 vote, plus his sponsorship of legislation to eliminate absentee ballots while proposing voter ID. When reporter Stephen Caruso pressed Grove on his objections to the election results — asking him point-blank “Was there election fraud in 2020?”
Here’s how that went:
Grove: Yes, there was. They have confirmed cases of election fraud.
Caruso: Who committed that fraud in Pennsylvania?
Grove: Right, Republicans. But it’s still election fraud. It doesn’t matter who [commits] it. We don’t want that fraud to occur. And to say there wasn’t any is a lie. Now, I will say there’s not like this mass amount of fraud, that’s going to shift hundreds of thousands of votes. But there was election fraud. We have had repeated, repeated election fraud in this commonwealth for decades.
Caruso: This is not the message that, particularly Republican politicians, were giving to their constituents-
Grove: Some. Not all.
Grove was further pressed on why he didn’t call out the lies that shrouded the 2020 election, and his response to that was “I can’t help people believe everything on the Internet.”
“There are a lot of bad accusations out there. We did our due diligence to try to address them when members had questions,” he continued. “People are going to believe what they believe. The other reason for doing the hearings, you know, we looked at the actual election law, the actual administration [of the] election. And you can hear by the stakeholders testimony or public statements, there was a lot of appreciation for how we did it.”
A New Study Shows Us the Single Biggest Motivation for the Jan. 6 Rioters [Theory of the Great Replacement] Amanpour and Company May 6, 2021
A new study on the January 6 Capitol insurrection finds that of the nearly 400 rioters arrested or charged, 93% are white and 86% are male. Michel Martin speaks to the study’s principal investigator, Professor Robert Pape, to discuss these findings and some surprising revelations about the attackers and their motives.
Anti-Trump Republicans Threaten to Form a Third Party The Mehdi Hasan Show May 13, 2021
Alarmed by the GOP’s current path after the ouster of Liz Cheney for daring to speak out against Trump, more than 100 Republicans threatened to create a 3rd party in a push against GOP extremism. Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele says GOP leadership needs to forget about Donald Trump and focus on unifying the party’s platform. Founder and executive director of Republican Women for Progress Meghan Milloy says this potential new party could provide an opportunity for people who feel like they’ve been forgotten by both Democrats and Republicans.
2 Trump Stories: Tells Sec Def "Protect My Supporters"; Will DeSantis Block Trump's NY Extradition? by Glenn Kirschner May 13, 2021
In two newly reported stories involving former President Donald Trump there are shades of future criminal charges. First, Trump's short-lived acting Secretary of Defense testifies to Congress that Trump told him to have the troops protect his supporters on January 6, rather than protect the people in the US Capitol. In a second story, Florida officials are planning for the eventuality that Donald Trump may be indicted by New York State District Attorney Cy Vance while Trump is in Florida, raising the prospect of Trump being extradited (removed) from Florida to face charges in New York. An unusual Florida law give staunch Trump supporter Governor Ron DeSantis some leeway to intervene in the extradition matter.
This video discusses what this all means.
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Trump wanted troops to protect his supporters at Jan. 6 rally Jan Wolfe Reuters May 12, 2021 5:19 PM PDT
President Donald Trump wanted National Guard troops in Washington to protect his supporters at a Jan. 6 rally that ended with them attacking the U.S. Capitol, leaving five dead, Trump's former Pentagon chief testified on Wednesday.
Former Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller told a House of Representatives panel that he spoke with Trump on Jan. 3, three days before the now-former president's fiery speech that preceded the violence and led to his second impeachment.
According to Miller's testimony, Trump asked during that meeting whether the District of Columbia's mayor had requested National Guard troops for Jan. 6, the day Congress was to ratify Joe Biden's presidential election victory.
Trump told Miller to "fill" the request, the former defense secretary testified. Miller said Trump told him: "Do whatever is necessary to protect demonstrators that were executing their constitutionally protected rights."
Miller made the remarks during a contentious hearing held by the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating security failures in the days leading to and during the riot.
Representative Carolyn Maloney, the Democrat who chairs the committee, demanded answers from Miller on why National Guard troops did not arrive until hours after the building was overrun.
Miller testified that the U.S. military was deliberately restrained that day when Trump's rally turned into an assault by hundreds of his followers that left five dead, including a Capitol Police officer.
Miller testified that he was concerned in the days before Jan. 6 that sending National Guard troops to Washington would fan fears of a military coup or that Trump advisers were advocating martial law.
