On Friday's edition of CNN's "The Lead," Michael Fanone, the former D.C. Metropolitan Police officer who fought off insurrectionists at the January 6 assault and suffered a heart attack the day after, tore into Republicans who declined to show up to a ceremony remembering the event.
That ceremony, which focused on the injured or deceased officers who protected members of Congress, was attended by only one Republican congressman, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). Republicans say that the event conflicted with a party conference call.
"You talk about condemning political violence, not being a Democratic issue or Republican issue," said anchor Jake Tapper. "I completely agree. You say it's a moral issue. But it's weird, because there was a House ceremony marking the two-year anniversary of that horrific attack on the Capitol, in which everybody's life was at stake. They were trying to hang Mike Pence, we saw images of Mitt Romney being escorted away by police, I think by Eugene Goodman, I'm not sure. Democrats' lives were at stake, Republicans' lives were at stake, and yet only one Republican member of Congress went to that event today ... what do you make of that?"
"I'll say this, over the past two years that I've been outspoken or year that I've been outspoken about January 6th, I have tried to walk a fine line when it comes to condemning Republicans," said Fanone. "Nobody likes to be painted with a broad brush, law enforcement certainly doesn't like that. And I don't believe that all Republicans are sympathetic to the MAGA agenda."
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However, he added, "It's very difficult to defend the Republican Party when only one of their members takes the time to show up and show support for law enforcement that was there defending them that day."
"It's disgraceful," Fanone continued. "It's an embarrassment for their party and it's disgraceful behavior. And as somebody who has previously supported Republican candidates, it's shameful. But they seem to be a party, at this point in time, that is without shame."
Watch the video below or at this link.