Malinowski Prepared to Consider Routine Biz - then All Hell Broke Loose
When U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-7) was witness to history, following Wednesday’s storming of the US Capitol Building, he and other members of the legislature were preparing to do the routine but essential constitutional process of certifying the election for Joe Biden. The world knows what happened that day.
The Tuesday following, he hosted an online Zoom town hall for constituents to relate his experience during a day which Senator Chuck Schumer said, echoing FDR, “will live in infamy.” Malinowski himself was unharmed physically, but, he warned that “The drama is not going away.” During his conversation, he warned that there was a growing threat of domestic extremism within the US. The extremism comes from both sides of the spectrum, he said, but right-wing violence was particularly concerning due to the support and, in the case of January 6, incitement by a sitting US president along with other officials in government. Additionally, he warned that over the course of time what had previously been considered a fringe was in danger of becoming “normalized.”
“I was in the House Chamber when all this went down Wednesday,” Malinowski said, “it was a tense moment.” He praised the efforts of the Capitol Hill police officers who stood against the mob before being overwhelmed and lamented the loss of two officers—one, New Jerseyan Brian Sicknick who was killed in the melee by a rioter throwing a fire extinguisher, and another officer who reportedly took his own life. “So many of these wonderful officers feel a sense of responsibility.”
Malinowski said that while the mob was clearly in favor of installing President Trump in office for another term, their targets, he said, were predominantly Republicans. “They were particularly there to target Republicans; this is an important thing to remember.” The gist which was given to the mob, Malinowski said, which came from the president, was that “the Democrats are hopeless but it’s the Republican traitors who they have to focus on,” and Vice President Mike Pence is chief “traitor” among them. Malinowski said that as the mob stormed through the Capitol Building, they were heard chanting “Hang Mike Pence”—for simply carrying out his constitutional responsibility.
Read more: https://www.insidernj.com/malinowski-considered-routine-biz-all-hell-broke-loose/