Brother of Brian Sicknick blasts Republicans who 'can't stand up for what's right and wrong'

WASHINGTON — Some U.S. Capitol Police officers and their family members refused to shake hands with Republican Party members present at the Medal of Freedom ceremony on Tuesday.

Raw Story spoke to Ken Sicknick, the brother of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who explained why he refused to dignify the GOP with a response.

He said that Republicans still refuse to acknowledge that what the Jan. 6 attackers did was wrong. "Whatever hold Trump has on them, they backstep, they've danced, they won't admit to wrong-doing, not necessarily them themselves, but of Trump, of the rioters. I mean, people like Louie Gohmert (R-TX) who presented an American flag flown over the Capitol to a Jan. 6 rioter. It's disgusting. It's against everything my brother has done."

He sang the praises of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), noting that most Republicans "can't stand up for what's right and wrong. With them, it's party first. Liz gave up her political career to do all that."

IN OTHER NEWS: 'The damage has been done': Fox Business host refuses to let Trump walk back threat to Constitution

Raw Story also spoke to House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6 Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) after the ceremony. He explained that he can be empathetic to the anger and frustration that the families and some officers still have for the GOP.

"You know, it's a tough time for a family," said Thompson. "I think some of the comments about Jan. 6 as to what happened was the equivalent of a congressional tour and all that and there are families that lost a loved one. You can't trivialize that situation. I'm sure there's some issues around that."

Raw Story asked Thompson about the recent fundraiser that Donald Trump held to benefit the Jan. 6 defendants.

"I mean, look, a guy who wants to do away with the Constitution wants to give help to insurrectionists, I mean, there's nothing left for him to do that would surprise me as it relates to Jan. 6. How are you going to give pardons to people who broke into the Capitol and wanted to hang the vice president, hurt the Speaker and other members, including myself."

CNN's Daniella Diaz said that she spoke with Gladys Sicknick who explained she didn't shake the hands of McCarthy and McConnell because: “They’re just two-faced. I’m just tired of them standing there and saying how wonderful the Capitol police is and then they turn around and go down to Mar-A-Lago and kiss his ring and come back. It just, it just hurts.”

With additional reporting by Matt Laslo