'This was a riot': 'Dismayed' Reagan judge warns GOP lawmakers against lying about Jan. 6

A Reagan-appointed judge imposing punishment for a Jan. 6 Capitol rioter wants to set the record straight: that fateful day where five people died and scores were wounded, was "not patriotism; it was the antithesis of patriotism."

Judge Royce C. Lamberth, who has served on the bench for nearly four decades, came down on defendants' "preposterous" claims to diminish their actions, according to the sentencing remarks and first reported by The Washington Post.

"The Court is accustomed to defendants who refuse to accept that they did anything wrong," he said on Thursday while imposing an extra two months prison for Jan. 6 defendant James Little, a 53-year-old North Carolina truck driver.

ALSO READ: Few Trumpers who embrace political violence understand its endgame

Lamberth, who came up as a JAG Corps captain while serving in Vietnam, said he could not "condone the shameless attempts" to misrepresent the events on Jan. 6.

The court, he said, "cannot condone the notion that those who broke the law on January 6 did nothing wrong, or that those duly convicted with all the safeguards of the United States Constitution, including a right to trial by jury in felony cases, are political prisoners or hostages."

Lamberth further chastised politicians who have condemned the handling of various Jan. 6 cases being tried in the courts to fit their fantasy narrative.

"But in my thirty-seven years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream," Lamberth said.

"I have been dismayed to see distortions and outright falsehoods seep into the public consciousness," he added.

And he warned the damage could hinder the republic: "The Court fears that such destructive, misguided rhetoric could presage further danger to our country."

The judge didn't name names, but alluded to Republican lawmakers for instance Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) referring to Jan. 6 defendants as “hostages.”

"I have concerns about the treatment of Jan. 6 hostages," Stefanik during an appearance on "Meet the Press." "I believe that we're seeing the weaponization of the federal government against not just President Trump, but we're seeing it against conservatives."

Lamberth made clear how he sees what happened three years ago.

"This was not a protest that got out of hand. This was a riot; in many respects a coordinated riot... "