Dem Gerry Connolly: Republicans Who Voted Against Medals For Capitol Police ‘Part Of The Insurrectionist Mob’

On Tuesday, Democratic Congressman Gerry Connolly blasted Republicans who opposed giving gold medals to Capitol Police officers who were on duty during the riot at the Capitol on January 6, equating them to “the insurrectionist mob.”

The Democrat made his remarks to CNN’s Erin Burnett.

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Rep. Connolly: ‘I Think This Is A New Low For This Crowd’

Burnett asked Connolly, “What is your position to the 21 Republicans who voted against giving these officers the gold medal?” 

“I think this is a new low for this crowd,” Connolly responded. “They voted to overturn an election. In the vote today they kind of sealed the deal of basically affiliating with the mob.”

Then he said of those Republicans, “They now are part of the insurrectionist mob.”

Connolly continued, “They brought enormous disrepute and dishonor on themselves in not honoring the brave men and women who defended the Capitol of the United States, everybody in it, but also defending the symbol of democracy in the world, not just here in the United States.”

“Shameful moment,” Rep. Connolly added.

Burnett noted that that some Republicans had taken issue with describing the events of January 6 as an “insurrection,” and also that FBI Director Christopher Wray did not use the term during his testimony on what happened that day.

Democrat Connolly: ‘It Was An Insurrection… I Think We Need To Call It What It Is’

Burnett asked Connolly, “What’s your reaction to what he said?” 

“I think for most of us in the media, the public and certainly here in Congress, it was what it was, an insurrection, an armed insurrection, preplanned by a lot of the participants,” Connolly replied.

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He added, “So you can quibble over words, and in quibbling over the words you’re contributing to the denial of what, in fact, happened. And I don’t want to be an enabler with respect to that.”

“It was an insurrection,” Connolly insisted.

“Everybody could see it on television,” the Democrat said. “Those of us who were here experienced it as such.”

“And I think we need to call it what it is,” Connolly finished.