There is a 'darker reason' Republicans refuse to support a Capitol riot investigation: columnist

On Saturday, writing for The Washington Post, columnist Karen Tumulty argued that, contrary to congressional Republicans' constantly shifting explanations for why they don't support the Capitol riot commission, there is a deeper and far more sinister reason the party can't get behind it — "despite the fact that Democrats had given them just about everything they had claimed to want — including a power-sharing arrangement under which the GOP would have equal representation on the 10-member panel, as well as a say in any subpoenas it might issue."

"Republicans quake at the thought of doing anything that might cause Mt. Trump to erupt," wrote Tumulty. "But there is an even darker reason to explain why they appear less concerned about paying a price for failing to reckon with what happened on Jan. 6, which was also an assault on the integrity of this country's democratic processes. The more dangerous truth is that a not-insignificant portion of the GOP's Trumpian base actually appears to believe that the violent mob was justified in its effort to disrupt Congress as it conducted its pro forma tally of the electoral votes that made Joe Biden the 46th president."

"A new poll released by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core shows that these dangerous and conspiratorial beliefs are not confined to the country's dank backwaters," she continued. "Fully 20 percent of more than 5,500 adults questioned in all 50 states — and 28 percent of Republicans among them — said they agreed with the statement that 'there is a storm coming soon that will sweep away the elites in power and restore the rightful leaders.' Even more worrisome were the 15 percent overall — and, again, 28 percent of Republicans — who were of the opinion that because 'things have gotten so off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.'"

All of this tracks with rhetoric from the QAnon conspiracy theory, right down to the idea of "the storm" — an imagined event where Trump overthrows a shadowy cabal of demonic pedophiles ruling the country and declares martial law.

"What Republicans made clear with their vote on Friday is that they would rather allow this thinking to fester within their base, and hope that it works to their electoral advantage, than to stand up to it," concluded Tumulty.

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