I & I Editorial BoardI&I Editorial
Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced plans for a 9/11-style commission to “investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex.” Will that investigation include the media’s role in peddling flagrant falsehoods about what actually happened that day?
Look up any story about the storming of the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters, and you will find it described as a “deadly riot” that killed five people.
Worse still, one of the deaths was that a police officer who – the story goes – was killed by rioters after getting hit in the head by a fire extinguisher.
Then there is the story of the protestor who “carried Zip Ties into the Capitol,” which led to accusations that the protestors intended to take hostages.
There have also been endless media descriptions of the event as an “armed insurrection.”
And there were stories claiming that, as Reuters put it, “Capitol rioters meant to ‘capture and assassinate’ officials.”
What is common about all of these media-fed narratives?
Not one of them is true. Not. One.
Let’s take each claim in turn.
The “fact” that five people were killed is false. Only one person is known to have been killed inside the building. She was a protester who was shot at close range by a police officer. (Had she been a minority, there would have been riots in the streets over police brutality.)
Two others died of “medical emergencies” while they happened to be on the Capitol grounds – which is not uncommon in mass gatherings. Another was apparently trampled by protestors climbing the Capitol steps – which is indeed a tragedy.
In any case, every one of these deaths involved protesters, not innocent civilians – a distinction the press is careful never to make.
But what about Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was, we’ve been told repeatedly, killed by a protester who threw a fire extinguisher at him?
The New York Times reported that protesters “struck him in the head with a fire extinguisher” and he “was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support.” NBC News’ Richard Engel claimed in a tweet that Sicknick was “clubbed to death with a fire extinguisher by a pro-Trump mob.” A Google search of “hit in the head with a fire extinguisher” returns 10 pages of results.
Every one of these news accounts treated the cause of Sicknick’s death as an indisputable fact.
But as Glenn Greenwald, a left-wing reporter who used to be a hero among journalists, notes: “The problem with this story is that it is false in all respects.”
He goes on: “Nobody saw video of it. No photographs depicted it. To this day, no autopsy report has been released. No details from any official source have been provided.”
In fact, the only source for this claim is the New York Times story, which relied on unnamed officials. And even the Times has since been forced to add a note at the top of that story saying that “new information has emerged … that questions the initial cause of (Sicknick’s) death.”
There’s other evidence to show that the media had it all wrong. ProPublica reports that Sicknick texted his family Wednesday night to say that “he had been pepper-sprayed” (he didn’t say by whom) and “was in good spirits.” CNN later admitted that investigators have been “vexed by a lack of evidence that could prove someone caused his death.” More tellingly, a Capitol Police statement said Sicknick returned to his office after the melee and only later went to the hospital. So what caused his death? Nobody knows, but it clearly wasn’t caused by a hell-bent Trump mob.
Why is this important? As Greenwald explains, “Without Sicknick having his skull bashed in with a fire extinguisher, there were no deaths that day that could be attributed to deliberate violence by pro-Trump protesters.”
The press has recently tried to increase the death count by including suicides that occurred weeks later.
Greenwald’s story – The False and Exaggerated Claims Still Being Spread About the Capitol Riot – goes on to point out a multitude of other “facts” endlessly repeated by the media to make the events appear more dangerous and deadly than they were.
That guy who supposedly “carried Zip Ties into the Capitol” (suggesting he intended to take hostages)? Turns out he found them on a table inside the building and grabbed them to keep the police from using them on the protesters.
The “armed insurrection”? There’s been no evidence that anyone carried firearms into the Capitol, except the police.
The report that protesters planned to “capture and assassinate” officials? The Department of Justice says “there is no direct evidence at this point of kill-capture teams and assassinations.”
“Over and over,” Greenwald writes, “no evidence has emerged for the most melodramatic media claims.”
We are not in any way defending the idiots who stormed the Capitol. It was stupid and pointless and people were needlessly hurt. Whoever broke the law should be punished to the full extent of the law.
By why has the press been so determined to overdramatize this one-day event, when it spent an entire summer hiding or excusing the violence, destruction, and deaths committed by left-wing mobs across the country?
The only reason this story has and continues to be grossly exaggerated by the press and by Democrats (but we repeat ourselves) is to sow fear in the public, portray conservatives as violent extremists, and justify more ferocious attacks on anyone who isn’t a left-wing Democrat.
Which is why the media will never come clean about their role in misleading the public. And why Pelosi’s “truth” commission can be counted on not to tell the truth about any of it.
— Written by the I&I Editorial Board
Using these vague “policy violations,” Google is now threatening to demonetize us. It’s part of Big Tech’s effort to silence conservative voices.
This was all orchestrated long before the actual day, by those who wanted to make sure Trump would never have a chance to run again. The impeachment was just a back up plan that also failed. So now, they’re trying to pass H.R. 484. They just can’t let it go. And it’s destroying our country.
“And it’s destroying our country.” True, although it’s more accurate to say they —those who intentionally misreport— are destroying the country. We can put faces and names to the effort.
Yes we can. They’re Pelosi and Soros. Don’t kid yourself. The msm no longer thinks for itself. Everything it ‘reports’ on is given to them, all the coaching, all the “facts” are given to them from Pelosi, her cohorts and Soros. The msm hasn’t had an original thought between them all since 2015.
Let’s not forget Obama in his DC mansion basement pulling strings. Any investigation by the Democrats will be totally useless except for them to use in the blame game and to shift the focus away from what they’re doing to complete the transformation of America.
This is all being used as pretext for Martial Law in D.C. The plan is to spread that to all major cities, fearful of the same insurrections that never happened in the first place. It is the master plan of the evil, vile and reprehensible Nancy Pelosi, who is so consumed by hatred for Trump, whom she despises for upsetting the apple cart in D.C. When she tore up his SoTU speech, she sent that signal. Things have never been the same since.
The same Martial Law the Left accused President Trump of planning to declare to quell the riots?
We knew that from the get go.
This all speaks volumes about Democrats. When riots occur across the country, Democrats supported them to the point of providing bail money to get them out of jail with no consequence added on from Leftist judges. Who cares that these “mostly peaceful” riots destroyed lives, livelihoods, and neighborhoods. But once a hint of those riots hits Washington D.C., they go berserk with fear. My how it was so terrifying for them to get a whiff of tear gas or to think they were threatened. Now they want a major investigation to get their pound of flesh. Not that long abo we called people who behaved like this “Bullies”.
“But once a hint of those riots hits Washington D.C., they go berserk with fear.” That statement can be refined by adding “But once a hint of those riots BY CONSERVATIVES hit Washington D.C….” I think THAT scared them more than anything else. I’m thinking that they realized that they had come to that “red line in the sand” and had a panic attack when it dawned on them that conservatives weren’t going to take it anymore.
As soon as Trump called for this march the democrats started planning. The violence was led by toadies of the democrat party, primarily their usual henchmen Antifa and BLM. Trump followers were even enticed to come in by some Capitol Police holding open doors, smiling, etc. Very little damage or violence was committed by Trump people. The democrats over the top reaction is even more evidence that this was their setup plot and they intend to ride it for as long as they possibly can, and let’s face it with today’s media that will be quite awhile.
Losers sound like losers. Glenn Greenwald is such a loser he had to move to Brazil.
How is he a loser? How do you know “he had to move to Brazil”?
“The Media Has Been Lying About The Capitol Protests”
They’ve been lying about EVERYTHING for quite a while. They aren’t there to deliver the news, they exist to shape the narrative.
Is there any subject that the media doesn’t lie about?
It sure feels like the Democrat priority is jobs for political hacks where they all get to pass go and collect $200,000. How many commissions to study something have been set up so far and how many are in the works? Commissions that will hide inconvenient truths.
Obviously Pelosi set this up
Also – note in the video(s) that black doormat – that has been placed under the same window that the female jumped up in. Why would a door mat – be placed under a window – and that particular window to be exact.
And – this : https://gab.com/cowgyrl/posts/105693701643308917
Feel free to click on the “Capitol Hill” link of my Gab page – I have ripped many photos from the various videos – – I also sent them to Rep. Ron Johnson – praying that he will review them, as well. 🙂
She may not like the outcome .
Well, when you need to scare congress into accepting the electoral vote all you do is create a riot and it will get done. That is the only reason democrats sent Antifa in disguised as Trump supporters right when the electoral count discussion was happening.
I’m shocked, shocked to find there is gambling going on in the casino! What do you mean the media has been lying to us? The communist front that we are up against will stop at nothing to cement their power and control. They don’t care what it takes to do that, they will stop at nothing. Look out! They’re coming for all of us soon! It will be fast and ugly for 74 million of us, we have to band together and fight this evil as the united Americans that we are!
Past President Trump was not responsible for the security of the Capital. It is the responsibility of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. She was warned by both the Pentagon and the POTUS as late as January the 4th that mass movements of protesters were gathering and expected at the Capital to protest. She was offered the National Guard to guard the Capital on the 4th, and 5th. She turned it down. Now lets ask who is responsible for the successful invasion of the Capital. I believe it is Nancy Pelosi and she worked up the second Impeachment to cover her own failings and duties as SOTH. She is the one that should be impeached. She is the one that allowed the Capital Police to be impacted the way it was, she is the one to blame by both House and Senate members plus the VP and all security plus support staff for putting their lives in jeopardy while she skipped out very quickly and leaving everyone else behind to fend for themselves. IMPEACH NANCY PELOSI!
Past President Trump was not responsible for the security of the Capital. It is the responsibility of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. She was warned by both the Pentagon and the POTUS as late as January the 4th that mass movements of protesters were gathering and expected at the Capital to protest. She was offered the National Guard to guard the Capital on the 4th, and 5th. She turned it down. Now lets ask who is responsible for the successful invasion of the Capital. I believe it is Nancy Pelosi and she worked up the second Impeachment to cover her own failings and duties as SOTH. She is the one that should be impeached. She is the one that allowed the Capital Police to be impacted the way it was, she is the one to blame by both House and Senate members plus the VP and all security plus support staff for putting their lives in jeopardy while she skipped out very quickly and leaving everyone else behind to fend for themselves. Time to impeach Nancy Pelosi.
Sadly, Officer Brian Sicknick died of a stroke. It was within 24 hours of the event, so it is considered a LODD. Unknown if he will receive Federal death bennifits.
Pelosi is the one who planned this whole event using members of Antifa dressed like Trump Supporters
Ten of 18 comments on this very article are actively promoting an insane conspiracy theory that the riot was a false flag operation conducted by antifa, and you think what is tearing America apart is:
– Saying the riots “killed” 5 people rather than that 5 people “died during” them, which is indisputably true;
– Not taking a criminal at his self-serving word that the zip-cuffs he was holding were just things he “found” randomly lying about the nation’s capital;
– Accurately describing people carrying weapons as “armed;” and
– Acting as though the crowd chanting “Hang Mike Pence” as they angrily smashed their way into the building holding Mike Pence might have actually meant what they were saying.
Seems to me the bigger issue is inside your own house.
This article is such bs stop trying to weasel out of the punishments for what you did
Excellent column, thank you. This has been a strange historical episode, the entire Trump presidency. Now, according to reports, Joe Biden is out apologizing to Europe for the Trump presidency — and Twitter has banned Australia. I expect that historians will be very kind to President Trump, less so to Ms.Pelosi as they look at historical events with less jaundiced eyes. I thought I’d lived through some strange periods before, but this one is truly remarkable.
Where is the death certificate for Ashli Babbitt? Was her death real or staged?
Finally, some ethical reporting that isn’t just Glen Greenwald and a few others. What journalism is supposed to be 😍
The face of the violence for the average TV watcher was the gray-bearded guy who bashed out the window through which a number of protestors then entered the Capitol Building. Fox News, for one, never mentions the event without showing that scene as they talk. So who is that guy? Has he been arrested? What is his background? Surely the authorities know the answer to all of those questions. The fact that no one in the press is even asking the questions speaks volumes, I think.
Now we find that CNN actually inked and signed a contract with activist John Sullivan on the morning of January 6 to create and film the “insurrection”. Given Pelosi’s orders to reduce any police presence reeks of a setup to create a distraction from the stolen election and grab even more power while blaming President Trump. These people are truly traitors to the United States of America! God help us!
As usual, the wealthy bosses of fake news will likely be blamed for these reported lies and distortions, as well they should be. Lets not minimize the blame, though that the children the bosses send out to cover stories such as this should suffer. Because – with few exceptions – they were educated by wealthy left wing university professors, few of them know anything at all about the subject matter the bosses send out to cover.
Turning our Capitol into a Supreme Soviet-style Krimlin is desecration.