GOP's Paul Gosar slammed by home state columnist for 'spirited defense' of Capitol rioters

On Wednesday, writing for The Arizona Republic, columnist Laurie Roberts laid into Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) for repeatedly offering a revisionist history in "spirited defense" of the pro-Trump insurrectionists who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

"During a House hearing on the events of Jan. 6, Gosar chastised the FBI for having the nerve to ask the public's help in tracking down what he called 'peaceful patriots' and he demanded the security footage of what occurred before and during the riot," wrote Roberts. 'Such footage would provide answers that would contain exculpatory evidence regarding outrageous accusations against members of Congress,' he said, 'and most importantly, exonerate the many Americans who peacefully protested and never set foot in the Capitol.' Like the ones who dragged police officers down the Capitol steps and beat them with metal flagpoles and hockey sticks as the mob chanted 'USA USA USA'? The ones armed with wooden clubs and bear spray and knives?"

She also noted that Gosar demanded to know who "executed" deceased rioter Ashli Babbitt. "Babbitt, 35, of San Diego, was shot by a Capitol police officer as she attempted to break into the Speaker's Lobby, deep inside the Capitol, while members of the House were being evacuated," wrote Roberts. "Wearing a Trump flag as a cape, she attempted to crawl through a broken window in the barricaded doorway as officers ordered rioters to stop."

She wasn't wrapped in an American flag as Gosar claimed.

Gosar, a highly controversial far-right lawmaker with ties to white supremacist groups, has been denounced even by his own family for his antics.

"Gosar himself was heavily involved in the Stop the Steal movement and according to Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander, he was one of three congressmen who helped plan the Jan. 6 rally in an effort to stop Congress from certifying the election results that day," wrote Roberts. "Gosar was actually on the House floor waxing on about Arizona's stolen election when Babbitt and her fellow 'peaceful patriots' were attempting to break into the joint ... Luckily for Gosar, it is apparently not a federal crime to flat out lie to Congress."

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