(Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy/Arizona Mirror)
Four years after rioters took over the U.S. Capitol, the political divide over what happened that day has grown wider and wider within Florida, including among its elected officials.
Incoming President Donald Trump, who was impeached over what happened that day, has repeatedly played down the attack and has said he plans to pardon some who took part.
Florida Democrats on Monday urged residents to remember the violence while underscoring their intent to certify the 2024 election results. Top Republicans, conversely, minimized gravity of the day that saw anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 supporters of Trump storm in the Capitol in an effort to prevent certification of the 2020 election of Joe Biden.
“We can never afford to forget how close we came to the end of the great American experiment — or that it was the Republican Party that drove us to that cliff. 13 Florida Republicans voted to overrule the will of the people that day, and their actions continue to bring shame to the great state of Florida,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a prepared statement.
“There will be no such action from Florida Democrats today. No matter the results of the last election or the actions Donald Trump may take in his second term, Democrats will always fight to uphold our nation’s democratic values — especially the peaceful transfer of power. Donald Trump and the leaders of the Republican Party are a danger to our democracy that can only be defeated at the ballot box.”
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U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson issued a statement beseeching people to “never forget. “
“To have lived it is to never ever forget it. Most Americans will never fathom what we experienced on that horrific day. They wanted to hang the Vice President and constructed a gallows to do so on the Capitol Complex. They sought to kill the Speaker of the House and to beat as many of us into submission if they could,” she said in the prepared statement.
“We ran and crawled on our knees to safety with the fear of death hanging over our heads. They left the statues in Statuary Hall broken and smeared with excrement and blood. Police officers were bloodied, beaten, battered, and died. It was like playing a role in a horror movie and hoping that it would soon come to an end. As far as I am concerned, it never ended.”
U.S. Rep. Darren Soto took to X to post a picture of himself trying to hide in the House gallery as insurrectionists besieged the chamber.
“Today, I will return to the House Chamber to certify the 2024 results. House Democrats honor the Constitution & accept the will of the people,” Soto posted.
‘Colossal waste of money’
Ahead of the Jan. 6 anniversary, Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who hopes to replace former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in a special election, said if elected he would push to create a committee to investigate the House committee that investigated the actions of Trump and his supporters. In a statement, Patronis called the panel, which included former Republican U.S. Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, a “taxpayer subsidized monstrosity to go after President Trump, MAGA, and other Republicans.”
“It wasn’t objective, it wasn’t bipartisan, and it was led by Anti-Trumpers Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who were both ran out of Congress. Representative Jim Jordan did amazing work with the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government — and seeing as Liz Cheney was having ex-parte communications, we need to see what laws were violated and hold those accountable,” he said.
He referred to Republican-controlled House committee report that Cheney communicated with witness Cassidy Hutchinson without her lawyer knowing.
“Moreover, as this was a colossal waste of money, we need to take steps to ensure Congress never abuses taxpayer money in this manner ever again.”
Democratic U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor and Debbie Wasserman Schultz acknowledged the heroism of law enforcement officers who helped defend the Capitol in their social media posts.
“The heroism of @CapitolPolice and lives lost will never be forgotten,” Castor, a Democrat who represents portions of Tampa and St. Petersburg, posted.
“Four years ago today, @CapitolPolice @DCPoliceDept and other law enforcement defended our capitol building and democracy from violent election deniers. We’ll never forget their bravery and sacrifice,” Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat representing parts of Fort Lauderdale, posted on X. “We thank these heroes as our peaceful democracy transfer continues today.
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