Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a lengthy statement Friday that the charges against the rioters who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, may have been politically motivated. , suggested he was partially aligned with the false portrayal promoted by the former president. Donald Trump and his allies.
The statement came a day after President Kennedy came under fire for a fundraising email that sympathetically portrayed the rioters as “activists” who were “deprived of their constitutional liberties.”
The Kennedy campaign said it had cut ties with the contractor who sent the fundraising emails, and Kennedy's latest statement echoed similar sentiments. Rather than rejecting the idea that the rioters were being unfairly prosecuted, President Kennedy said he was “concerned that political objectives may be motivating the momentum to prosecute the J6 defendants.” said.
Regarding the events of January 6, President Kennedy said, “I want to hear all sides.''
Kennedy partially criticized Trump in a statement, saying the Capitol attack occurred at Trump's “encouragement” and “in the context of delusions that the election was stolen from him.” But as president, Kennedy said he would appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Trump allies were unfairly singled out for prosecution, “and I'll right any wrongs we find.”
President Trump routinely refers to those convicted in the January 6 attack as “hostages” and has promised to pardon them if he regains the White House.
President Kennedy also falsely claimed in his statement that the rioters were not armed. Some members of the mob carried guns, and one was recently charged with firing into the air during the riot. Other rioters attacked officers using flagpoles, crutches, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, pepper spray, and PVC pipes.
The violence on January 6 was widespread. A mob of Trump supporters broke through police barriers, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with officers, smashed windows and poured into the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee and hide.
On the day of the attack, a makeshift gallows was photographed outside the Capitol, with some chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” The mob roamed the halls, shouting, “Nancy, where are you?” He was referring to Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who was Speaker of the House at the time.
The officers were dragged into the crowd and beaten, leaving them bruised and bleeding. One officer was crushed against a door frame and another suffered a heart attack as the mob held a stun gun to his neck and shocked him repeatedly.
More than 1,300 people have been charged in the Capitol attack, about 500 of whom are charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing police officers. About 1,000 people have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a judge or jury of charges including seditious conspiracy, assault and treason. Only two defendants were cleared of all charges after trial, both by judges who decided the cases without a jury.
Of the more than 800 convicted rioters, at least 229 have been sentenced to more than a year in prison, according to an Associated Press review of court records. The longest sentences to date were given to leaders of two far-right extremist groups, the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, both of whom have spent weeks trying to block the transfer of presidential power. He was found guilty of seditious conspiracy after a trial that revealed plans to use force over a period of time. From Trump to Biden.
The judges overseeing the case in federal court in Washington have always emphasized that rioters will be punished for their actions, not their political beliefs. The justices, appointed to the court by presidents of both political parties, are using their platforms to combat distortions about the attack and to admonish the rioters as victims of political persecution.
Under Justice Department rules, the attorney general, not the president, appoints the special counsel. And special counsels have historically been appointed to investigate crimes like the case against Trump, not to second-guess the decisions of Justice Department leadership.
President Kennedy painted President Trump, who is facing dozens of indictments in four jurisdictions on various criminal charges, as the victim of a politically motivated government and accused the former president of corruption. He reiterated both the president's own characterization and Congressional Republicans' claims that federal agencies are being “weaponized.” ” against conservatives.
“There may be people, like me, who oppose Donald Trump and everything he stands for, but are upset by the weaponization of the government against him,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy is a lawyer and activist known for fighting for environmental causes and rejecting the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective. He has a fervent base of support among voters who distrust other institutions of American life, including the government, the media, political parties and corporations.
Democrats and their allies on the left fear that Kennedy, a descendant of a prominent Democrat from one of the most famous dynasties in American politics, could split the anti-Trump coalition and help Trump win in November. are doing.
“The violent mob that assaulted police officers and sought to overthrow our democracy was two-faced,” said Matt Corridoni, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. “Is RFK Jr.'s candidacy supported by President Trump's biggest donors, is he protecting Trump by downplaying the seriousness of January 6th, or is he claiming to be a spoiler for Donald Trump?” I've proven that over and over again.”
Allies of the former president are also concerned about the impact of Kennedy's candidacy, as many of his conspiratorial views closely align with Trump's.
Long before he ran for president, Kennedy was associated with people involved in the January 6 chaos and the massive campaign to spread the falsehood that the election was stolen from Trump. Anti-vaccination business owners Ty and Charlene Bollinger, who the Associated Press previously reported had financial ties to Kennedy, were arrested on January 6, as was Kennedy's campaign staffer, Dell Bigtree. He was involved in organizing a rally near the U.S. Capitol on Sunday.
In the months after the attack, Kennedy was a high-paid speaker on the “ReAwaken America” tour, a Christian nationalist road show led by former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, but the speakers remained consistent. The 2020 presidential election was stolen and President Trump continued to claim lies that it was fraudulent. legitimate president. Kennedy was photographed backstage with Flynn, Charlene Bollinger and Trump aide Roger Stone.
President Kennedy has also appeared on InfoWars, a channel run by Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, attended rallies before the storming of the Capitol, and personally walked the steps of the Capitol on January 6th. Marched.
Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccination group long led by President Kennedy, has now taken steps to identify misinformation, including information about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the new coronavirus. The company is suing multiple news organizations, including the Associated Press, for violating antitrust laws. -19 vaccines. Bollingers is also participating in the lawsuit, with Kennedy listed as one of its attorneys.
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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Michael Kunzelman and Michelle R. Smith contributed.
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