The Progressive American

While the GOP downplays the attack, neo-Nazis celebrate the violence.

By: Conor J. Kelly

It has been several years since the attack on the US Capitol, and the narrative from the right surrounding the violent attack has not improved. Even after an extensive investigation by the January 6th Committee and over a thousand arrests of suspected rioters, Republicans continue to downplay the severity of the attack on American democracy. All the while, far-right agitators and neo-Nazis are actively celebrating the attack. This can’t continue, and the right’s disregard for the severity of the attack must be countered.

January 6th rioters and their costs to the public

Despite attempts to downplay the attack on the Capitol, the damage done to our democracy and to the people within the Capitol is very clear. After the rioters were dispersed, five people were dead. Over a hundred officers were injured, and four officers committed suicide. However, it is worth mentioning that the exact cause of each suicide in relation to the attack remains difficult to determine. Simply put, the damage done to the people who were dedicated to the Capitol’s defense is immense and shouldn’t be forgotten.

The harm done by the rioters didn’t stop with the fighting or loss of life. In terms of harm to the taxpayer, rioters have effectively cost the public over $2.7 million due to damages to the Capitol and to Capitol Police alone, according to the Justice Department.

Not to mention the blatant disrespect that the insurrectionists displayed to the center of American legislative power. In one instance, a rioter smeared feces over the walls of the Capitol, and some stole sensitive information from congressional offices, including then-Speaker Pelosi’s office.

The threat posed by January 6th can’t be denied. It is evident in the dangers that rioters themselves posed to the officers who defended the capitol, the senators and representatives, and in the repeated incidents of looting that took place that day. Even with all of the evidence, the GOP continues to live in denial.

The GOP’s Alternative Reality

Trump’s repeated claim that the 2020 election was stolen has been repeatedly debunked. Even Trump’s own administration, through his Attorney General Bill Barr, debunked his lie. The courts who have reviewed Trump’s argument have also rejected his claims multiple times.

Unfortunately, many Americans still believe the lie. When polled in December of 2021, only 39 percent of Republicans said they believed that Biden was legitimately elected. A subsequent Washington Post-University of Maryland Poll conducted in December of 2023 showed that number had dropped to 32 percent. It is beyond unacceptable that after four years and with no evidence provided, over 60 percent of Republicans don’t believe that President Biden was legitimately elected.

While the legitimacy of the Biden campaign’s victory has declined in the eyes of some Americans, most of whom are Republicans, the majority of American respondents believe Biden won fairly. Among Independents, 66 percent believe that Biden won the presidential election fairly. By contrast, 91 percent of Democrats believe Biden won the 2020 election fairly. Self-identified Republicans were the only group with a majority of respondents who didn’t believe Biden won fairly.

When it comes to January 6th itself, Republican respondents again demonstrate that they live in an alternative reality. While the majority of Americans, 55 percent, believe that the attack on the Capitol was “an attack on democracy that should never be forgotten,” the same can’t be said for Republican respondents. The vast majority of Republicans, roughly 72 percent, say that it is time to move on from the attack. Republicans are not willing to say that January 6th should be forgotten, but they are more than willing to disregard its importance.

As of the publication date of this article, public opinion continues to be divided along party lines. The GOP tends to downplay the severity of the attack despite the general public’s negative views of the assault. As to be expected, few Republicans are willing to say that Trump bears responsibility for the insurrection on January 6th, showing that GOP voters are increasingly washing their hands of the consequences of their party’s rhetoric. The far-right, however, are not making such moves. Instead, they are openly embracing the violence.

Goosestepping on the memory of January 6th

While there has been an attempt to avoid responsibility for the January 6th insurrection among Republicans, neo-Nazis and far-right advocates have leaned into the attack. Infamous neo-Nazi and incel Nick Fuentes recently argued on his show, which was covered by the anti-fascist website satirically named AngryWhiteMen, that people should celebrate the insurrection, arguing that the attack on the Capitol was a “pretty proportionate expression of the frustration of the people” and that the assailants were “entitled to break a f**kin’ window.”

Note: AngryWhiteMen has a policy of not linking to Nick Fuentes and other Nazis’ websites and has clipped the video to provide accurate quotations. I maintain that policy as well.

It is worth noting that Fuentes has a history of violent rhetoric. As RightWingWatch, a progressive organization that monitors right wing extremism, has reported, Fuentes argued for the execution of non-Christians. The Rolling Stone magazine has also reported that he specifically targets Jewish people. He also supports holy war against anyone who doesn’t comply with his interpretation of Christianity. He has also compared himself to Hitler, arguing that the dictator of Nazi Germany was “really f**king cool.” As if praising Hitler is an acceptable thing to do.

Fuentes also pushed back on other right-wingers who have argued that the attack was a false flag by the federal government. Fuentes asserted that “…it’s almost like if you say it’s a fedsurrection, you’re almost conceding that if no feds were involved that it was evil.” To Fuentes, the attack was something to celebrate regardless of whether or not the federal government instigated the riot. To the Illinois Nazi, it was all necessary to rebel for Trump.

“I think that whether that was an element or not, we should celebrate January 6 because finally people said that they had enough. That’s part of the ongoing Trump rebellion. And I think we should be proud of it.”

Nick Fuentes, America First, Jan. 6, 2024

Fuentes’ extremism is gradually working its way into the GOP. His connection to Kanye West allowed him access to Mar-A-Lago in a private dinner with former President Trump, though Trump claimed he didn’t know who Fuentes was then. He has garnered the support of GOP radicals such as representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, all of whom have a history of extremism rhetoric. Both Greene and Gosar have publicly supported Fuentes on and off despite backlash against Fuentes’ Nazism.

Nor is Fuentes alone in his desire to embrace violence. Former President Trump has also seemingly embraced the violence, refusing to sign an Illinois loyalty oath promising not to overthrow the government. In another incident, Trump warned that if the four trials against him cause him to lose the 2024 election, there would be “bedlam,” and refused to say whether or not he condemned political violence. Witnesses before the January 6th Committee previously reported that Trump refused to interfere or encourage his followers to stop their attack on the Capitol despite pleas by his adult children and advisors.

The Threat of GOP Inaction

The disregard by GOP voters and politicians for the dangers posed by January 6th, combined with the extremism of Trump, Fuentes, and others of their ilk, means that this untenable situation can’t be ignored. While Trump himself downplays or outright refuses to directly address concerns about political violence against the government, he also has seemingly no qualms with having dinner with someone who is overtly inclined to support said violence.

Trump and his supporters may argue that he was ignorant of Fuentes’ identity and purpose, but he seemingly refused to condemn him once he found out. Nor is it likely that he didn’t know Fuentes in any way. Fuentes has been an infamous public figure for years now, and Trump was notorious for watching TV extensively during his presidency when Fuentes was on the rise. He was also a prolific social media user and has consistently demonstrated a strong sympathy for the far-right, failing to condemn the Charlottesville Nazis adequately. The idea that he wouldn’t come across Fuentes and his America First movement is absurd.

Even more than Trump’s association with Fuentes being unnerving, the inroads that far-right violent rhetoric has made into mainstream GOP politics must be answered and stopped. If our republic is going to be effective and peaceful, it can’t tolerate a major party endorsing political violence as an acceptable operating mechanism. If the GOP wants to be the party of responsibility, then they need to start acting like it and address this extremism. If they are going to lecture people about personal responsibility, then they have to uphold that principle by demanding accountability from their leaders

The public must reject the GOP in the presidential election and do everything in its power to ensure that insurrectionist rhetoric and behavior are not rewarded. If Trump is defeated in November, Trump’s usefulness to the GOP may evaporate, and America may finally be able to move past him to a better future.