Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) voiced his frustration with the media and Democrats who he believes are politicizing the events of January 6.
During a news conference, DeSantis commented on the coverage of the first anniversary of the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“Today is going to be, I mean honestly I’m not going to watch any of it, but you’re going to see the D.C.-New York media, I mean, this is their Christmas, January 6, OK? They are going to take this and milk this for anything they could to try to be able to smear anyone whoever supported Donald Trump,” DeSantis said.
He went on to criticize those who are comparing the riot to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“That is an insult to the people who were going into those buildings and it’s an insult to people when you say it’s an insurrection, and then a year later, nobody has been charged with that.”
He added, “People are being charged with disrupting proceedings, I think it’s very important that, if this is what you said it was, why are you not charging people?”
DeSantis believes it is going to “end up being just a politicized Charlie Foxtrot today. I don’t expect anything good to come out of anything that Pelosi and the gang are doing.”
Watch the video below:
"THIS IS THEIR CHRISTMAS": During a press conference on Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the press and Democrats' politicization of the January 6th Capitol riot anniversary, and their comparisons of the riot to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. pic.twitter.com/eRIeGTpFTh
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) January 6, 2022
Similarly, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) suggested Democrats are using the events of the anniversary as a “partisan political weapon.”
“As we have said from the start, the actions of that day were lawless and as wrong as wrong can be. Our Capitol should never be compromised and those who broke the law deserve to face legal repercussions and full accountability,” McCarthy said in a letter to his Republican colleagues.
He went on, “Unfortunately, one year later, the majority party seems no closer to answering the central question of how the Capitol was left so unprepared and what must be done to ensure it never happens again. Instead, they are using it as a partisan political weapon to further divide our country.”
While delivering remarks Thursday, Pelosi recognized lawmakers and police officers who helped to stop the rioters, saying, “That day and the days after, they were the defenders of our democracy and their courage and patriotism remain an inspiration.”
She continued, “Because of them, Congress was able to defeat the insurrection, to return to the Capitol that same night to ensure the peaceful transfer of power took place. Because of them, and our members, the insurrection failed.”