Democratic lawmakers pushed a myriad of shocking allegations that their GOP colleagues may have hatched a plot with rioters, who swarmed into the U.S. Capitol last week. Those who broke into the Capitol building sought to block the Congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election.
Without naming any names, they offered little details coupled with some evidence. These claims represent the highest point of warnings and frustrations over the unlikely, cozy relationship between a few notable Republicans and the violent groups such as white nationalists, driven by the president's conspiracy theories of massive voter fraud and the Democrats stealing the election from him.
Democrats refrained from directly naming the GOP lawmakers they believe were involved in the Capitol siege, making a reference to ongoing investigations. Some pointed out that rioters seemed familiar when it came to navigating the Capitol's hallways and even noted that there were unusually large groups of visitors one day ahead of the riot, Yahoo News reported.
After the pro-Trump supporters broke into the building, five people, including a Capitol police officer, died, and several people were arrested. Black lawmakers, who have previously given warnings about the nationalist rhetoric from some in the Trump administration, and the GOP, said they weren't shocked to see rioters from the right-wing hate groups and many of those who raided the building waving Confederate flags.
In her statement Wednesday, U.S. Representative Maxine Waters accused Trump of providing conspiracy theorists, right-wing extremists, and white supremacists permission to promote hatred, racism, bigotry, and extreme violence. Waters recently voted to impeach Trump for the second time.
In her remarks from the House floor, Waters described Trump as the worst president in American history. She went on to accuse him of abusing his power, embracing authoritarianism, lying, and encouraged his supporters to adopt radical positions on democracy, The Hill reported.
Waters also stated that last year, Trump ordered the Proud Boys to stand back and stand by, and that's exactly what they did. Other Congressional Black Caucus members pointed out about being targeted during the attack, with one lawmaker noting that an iPad was missing from a discreet office, while another said the panic buttons in her office was destroyed before the riot, USA Today reported.
Offices across the Capitol were raided. There is still no evidence that the rioters targeted Black lawmakers. Lawmakers and the Capitol staff were forced to evacuate the building and were taken to secure locations during the violence.