Family of dead Capitol rioter accuses right-wing media of exploiting her for their own agenda

Rosanne Boyland died on Jan. 6 after she collapsed just outside the doors of the U.S. Capitol. She had been hooked into the QAnon conspiracy world and became an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.

Her family feared that as a former addict she was exchanging alcohol with a kind of Trump addiction. While her family has several problems with the investigation that has followed her death, they're also angry about the ways the GOP is using her to push their own agenda.

Speaking to MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin for his podcast, Boyland's family accused Republicans such as Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) of exploiting her death.

During the questioning of Attorney General Merrick Garland, Gohmert asked if it was true Boyland was hit with a large rock by police officers, a story he claimed he heard on the internet. There aren't typically a lot of large rocks casually strewn around the U.S. Capitol, and neither the medical examiner nor the U.S. Attorney found that as the reason for her death.

READ MORE: 'I'm calling for violence -- I will be violent!' Prosecutors play damning video of MAGA rioter during court hearing

Mohyeldin explained that he's been working to help people understand the Jan. 6 attack through the lens of one family and its links to a Capitol attacker.

"One of the key points has been how the right including representatives in the right and conservative movement and their media outlets have exploited the death of Rosanne Boyland to try to rewrite the narrative of what happened on Jan. 6," Mohyeldin continued. "As you heard from the family describing it as an act of terror."

NBC News reporter Leigh Ann Caldwell said that Republican officials are attempting to "sow distrust in the process," and Louie Gohmert's comments are part of that.

"He is making the conclusion she was beaten on her head. That is not what the evidence suggests. There is no video evidence to suggest that is not what the autopsy said," said Mohyeldin. "He is using that to advance the narrative as they have with other Trump rioters who died that day that they were martyrs of this cause. And, so, he is trying to beat the drum for his base for the right-wing conspiracy theorists she somehow was killed by the police when there is no evidence of that yet and the family doesn't believe the police killed her."

The podcast can be heard here and you can see the interview below:

Republicans are exploiting Rosanne Boyland's death for their own political purposeswww.youtube.com