National security expert mocks Blackburn for accidentally making the case all Jan. 6 participants should be arrested
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) attacked Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday during the Senate Oversight Committee hearing regarding attacks on so-called "crisis pregnancy centers," which use false information to talk women out of having abortions.
Blackburn brought up a Nashville anti-abortion group that she said was "firebombed" and that the attackers' group name was spray painted on the wall. She asked why people hadn't been arrested. Local law enforcement must have evidence before they can make arrests and conduct prosecutions.
Garland explained that often these attacks happen at night when there aren't many people around and information identifying attackers isn't available. It's similar to the Jan. 6 bomber, which was completely covered and still hasn't been arrested for setting bombs at the Democratic and Republican Parties.
Blackburn, however, complained that attacks on abortion clinics by protesters often happen during the day when other witnesses observe it and capture it on video. She went on to ask Garland if he ever issued a memo denouncing the attacks on Supreme Court Justices. Garland explained that instead of performative action, he did preventative measures to protect the justices with additional U.S. Marshals.
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"Are you investigating any of those individuals?" Blackburn asked about the protests outside of justices' homes. "You said you investigate protesters because they do their activity in the light of day. And most of the fire bombings and things take place at night — and I would think the FBI knows how to investigate that."
She went on to cite the myth that any parent protesting at a school board meeting was considered a domestic terrorist. Garland has repeatedly corrected the Republicans, saying that his directive explicitly says that any person who makes threats is the focus. Threats against schools, teachers or administration officials were what was included in the directive. He explained to Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) that many of those incidents were bomb threats.
"You apply domestic terrorism, as a term in catching that activity," Blackburn said of the bomb threats or the threats against schools. "Under federal law you have cited that this is how you term domestic: 'terrorism activities and involved acts dangerous to human life in criminal laws of the United States, or of any state.' So, under that definition, wouldn't you agree that firebombing as a pregnancy center, constitutes an act of domestic terrorism?"
Garland said yes, but dispelled the characterization that he targeted parents complaining.
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"We're talking about firebombing crisis pregnancy centers —" Blackburn cut in to complain Garland dispelled her myth.
"I understand, there was no reference to using domestic terrorism where it said—" said Garland.
"Firebombing," Blackburn randomly said.
"Yes, firebombing where —" Garland continued to explain.
"Domestic terrorism," Blackburn again said.
"It's at least domestic violent extremism," Garland said.
National security analyst Marcy Wheeler pointed out that Blackburn's characterization of those who take credit for violent attacks are terrorists. It would thus apply to the idea that those Jan. 6 attackers were also terrorists.
At the time of the attack, Blackburn tweeted that the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol was "a crime," local Tennessee reports noted. She hadn't yet called it domestic terrorism, however.
"Marsha also says that people who protest are all intimidating, which means DOJ should charge all the Jan. 6 attackers with obstruction," quipped Wheeler in her thread capturing the hearing.
On Twitter, prior to the hearing, Blackburn ranted that Garland must explain to Americans why he hasn't arrested Hunter Biden. During the hearing, she never asked a question about it.
See the exchange between Blackburn and Garland below or at the link here.
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