Revisionism

Republican after Republican on Wednesday, may 12, 2021, repeatedly sought to downplay the violence of the Jan. 6 insurrection, with one Georgia lawmaker likening the mobs overwhelming Capitol Police and vandalizing Capitol offices to a “normal tourist visit.”
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) made the tourist comment, saying that calling what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6 an insurrection “is a boldfaced lie.”
“Watching the TV footage of those who entered the Capitol and walked through Statuary Hall showed people in an orderly fashion staying between the stanchions and ropes taking videos and pictures,” the first-term lawmaker said. “You know, if you didn’t know the TV footage was a video from Jan. 6, you’d think it was a normal tourist visit.”
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Democrats also repeatedly clashed with former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, who vociferously defended the Pentagon’s response to the attack and told lawmakers, "I stand by every decision I made on Jan. 6 and the following days.”
“Secretary Miller, I have never been more offended on this committee by a witness statement than yours,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said. “You were more concerned about defending your own reputation and justifying your actions than the sanctity of this Capitol and the sanctity of our democracy.”
Miller also tangled with Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) when he appeared to walk back previous comments blaming Trump’s speech at a rally before the attack for inciting the riot.
Miller, who said in March he thinks “it’s pretty much definitive” Trump supporters wouldn’t have overrun the Capitol without that speech, said Wednesday he now thinks the speech is “not the unitary factor at all.” He called Lynch’s assertion that he was reversing himself “ridiculous.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Lynch shot back.
Miller also denied there was any delay in deploying the National Guard after the Capitol was breached, arguing “this isn't a video game where you can move forces with the flick of a thumb.”
The timeline Miller offered for his approval to deploy the Guard generally lined up with previous testimony from then-D.C. National Guard commanding general Maj. Gen. William Walker that it took hours from the time the Capitol was first breached until final approval was given.
Miller said he approved the activation of the Guard at 3:04 p.m. and then approved the deployment at 4:30 p.m. after Walker delivered an operational plan.
Both Miller and Rosen also confirmed they never spoke to Trump on Jan. 6, saying they already had the authority they needed to take necessary action. Unlike state National Guards that are controlled by governors, the D.C. National Guard is controlled by the president, but that authority can be delegated to the Defense secretary or Army secretary.
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Miller said he spoke with Trump on Jan. 3 about the District’s request for National Guard support in anticipation of protests Jan. 6 and that Trump told him to fill the request and “do whatever is necessary to protect the demonstrators that were executing their constitutionally protected rights.” Before the attack, D.C. officials had requested just 340 unarmed Guardsmen to help with traffic control.
Category:Trump