Democrat State Rep. Bruce Hunter took the floor of the Iowa House to berate President Donald J. Trump and his supporters.
The “highlight” of Hunter’s speech had to be calling for Trump to be either a defendant in civil or criminal court for the rest of his life or behind bars.
Hunter started by saying that he caught up on the second impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump.
“I watched all the video they presented and I watched while Vice President Pence came within 50 feet of an angry mob who was shouting ‘Hang Mike Pence,'” Hunter said.
He discussed what made him the most upset — listening to desperate Capitol police as they were overrun by Capitol police.
Hunter talked about Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick. He alleged that Sicknick was “viciously murdered” and died when the “mob” beat him over the head with a fire extinguisher.
Hunter has ignored recent updates from the New York Times, which has had to walk back its initial reporting (surprise, surprise).
The Times wrote on Feb. 16 that police sources and investigators were “at odds” over whether Sicknick was hit.
“Medical experts have said he did not die of blunt force trauma, according to one law enforcement official,” the Times wrote.
CNN reported that medical examiners did not find signs that Sicknick sustained any blunt force trauma.
“So investigators believe that early reports that he was fatally struck by a fire extinguisher are not true,” CNN went on to report.
ProPublica reported that Ken Sicknick, Brian’s brother, said the family was told Officer Sicknick suffered a stroke resulting from a blood clot.
Hunter said all the death and injuries were caused by “longstanding feelings of rage, humiliation, racism and hatred” that were “fueled and unleashed by a two-month-long barrage by lies and incendiary rhetoric by Donald Trump.”
“That’s what turned those feelings into action,” Hunter said.
After election challenges are over, Hunter said “all patriots” must respect the results.
“Donald Trump is no patriot,” he said. “With no evidence whatsoever, Donald Trump spread lie after lie, falsehood after falsehood, ginning up an angry mob with visions of how they must take back Trump’s country.”
He discussed tweets from President Trump.
“Trump’s call to immediate action was clear and unequivocal,” Hunter said.
He shared quotes from President Trump, Congressman Mo Brooks and Rudy Guliani from the Jan. 6 Save America Rally.
“The right-wing militants took their leaders’ commands to heart,” Hunter said.
Hunter then brought up Republican Rep. Dean Fisher’s remarks. Hunter summarized Fisher’s remarks as saying “we will survive, remember our side has the guns. The other side doesn’t know which bathroom to use.”
He also talked about GOP Sen. Zach Whiting who Hunter said “made up a fantasy” about June protests in Iowa.
Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, Hunter said, lumped Black Lives Matter and Antifa in with the “traitorous mob” in January.
Hunter compared the Jan. 6 “insurrection” to the Civil War.
“Does anyone sense repentance and accountability from Trump or his followers,” Hunter asked. “Not even close. Not when lawmakers tell us they have the guns. Not when lawmakers make up stories about shooting their way out. Not when lawmakers try to distract us by trying to compare a protest to an insurrection. So, let’s not be distracted by disingenuous moral appeals. The world is watching. They must see every single rioter who can be identified, prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law. We must see consequences for every person who gave these traitorous mobsters verbal solace. And it must see Donald Trump held to answer for his crimes. We must see him punished. He must spend the remainder of his life as either a defendant in criminal or civil trials or behind bars. Or else let us never again hold ourselves up as a beacon of democracy or a nation of laws.”
