House Republican: Trump’s impeachment unfair because BLM 'actually hurt people' and J6 riots did nothing
WASHINGTON — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) doesn't understand why former President Donald Trump was impeached for the Jan. 6 attacks and the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election. Speaking to Raw Story on Wednesday, she implied that no one got hurt as a result of Jan. 6 or due to Trump's actions.
"Um, so, I think based on what happened with the [John] Durham report and the information that we're finding out now — as you know, I led out the censure effort against [Rep.] Adam Schiff (D-CA) — you know, when you have a sitting president that — now that the facts have come out, was very much so politically targeted, and then had this egregious campaign run against him for years, I think it's important for history to reflect that it was not accurate."
Luna did not clarify what in the impeachment was not accurate.
When asked about the findings from the House Select Committee that investigated Jan. 6 and the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election, Luna argued that what is happening to Jan. 6 attackers is a grave injustice.
"Look at how the people were treated, how they are still being treated — as a result of that committee — was wrong," said Luna. "You know, they don't have the same standards of justice, for example, with people from BLM [Black Lives Matter] that actually hurt people. Obviously, I don't condone violence, but you know there was definitely a double standard, and I think a lot of people are realizing that."
The House Select Committee didn't prosecute any Jan. 6 attackers. Only those connected with the militia groups were mentioned, but the individuals weren't the focus of the committee's work. The Justice Department is trying the Jan. 6 defendants, and the process began during Donald Trump's administration.
The Jan. 6 attackers also were observed physically harming police officers on the day. In total, more than 140 officers were injured in some way on Jan. 6, and it doesn't include PTSD that has surfaced after the fact.
“I have officers who were not issued helmets prior to the attack who have sustained head injuries," said Gus Papathanasiou, the police union chairman in a statement. “One officer has two cracked ribs and two smashed spinal discs, and another was stabbed with a metal fence stake, to name some of the injuries."
There were burns, a heart attack, traumatic brain injuries, and other injuries from the attackers.
Michael Fanone was among those who have since left the force but spoke out about the violence experienced. While he was roughed up, the worst came when an attacker grabbed his taser and tased him in the neck until he was unconscious.
Black Lives Matter protesters were hurt by police during the summer and the New York Post claimed that the Department of Justice cited 700 law enforcement that were harmed. The problem with the figure being that the DOJ told PolitiFact that they didn't have actual numbers on law enforcement injuries during the 2020 summer.
The New York Times reported July 3, 2021, four polls that "suggest that about 15 million to 26 million people in the United States have participated in demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and others" in the weeks following Floyd's murder. Thousands were arrested.
A June 22, 2020, report from The Washington Post counted over 14,000 arrests made in one month, since the May 26 murder. The Hill counted over 17,000 arrests just in the first two weeks of protesting.
Jan. 6 attackers numbered in the tens of thousands but fewer than 2,000 have been arrested and tried.
According to a statement from the Secret Service, "There are approximately fifty nine (59) groups identified as potentially participating in First Amendment activities on January 6, 2021 at or around the White House Complex (WHC) ... Expected attendance is around 20,000 participants."
According to "classified numbers still not released by the Secret Service and the FBI but seen by Newsweek," there were approximately 120,000 people on the Mall on Jan. 6.
