House GQP Leader, Kevin McCarthy, had been dodging D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer, Michael Fanone for MONTHS after the violent insurrection on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Officer Fanone was one of hundreds of officers who put their lives on the line that day to protect members of Congress, the Vice President, and their guests. For his service, he was brutally attacked by a violent mob of Trump supporters and Qanon adherents. As thanks for risking his life, the GOP has tried to rewrite history, blaming FBI agents, Antifa, and BLM for the violence, and they're calling the Trump supporters "tourists."
Officer Fanone has met with numerous members of Congress, forging a special friendship with Congressman Eric Swalwell, who actually has family members who work in law enforcement. McCarthy, on the other hand, has dodged, avoided, and flat out hidden from Officer Fanone, just like he hides from all other responsibility or governance.
After serious public pressure, McCarthy finally met with Officer Fanone on Friday for roughly an hour. This officer risked his life, and now suffers from Traumatic Brain Injury from the Jan 6 attacks. As a thank you, McCarthy won't even support an investigation into the insurrection that almost took Officer Fanone's life. Officer Fanone reportedly asked McCarthy to publicly denounce the 21 House Republicans who voted against giving the brave police officers who risked their lives a Congressional medal of honor. He also asked McCarthy to talk to the members who are minimizing the attack. McCarthy reportedly told him he would “address it in a personal level with some of those members" which is a nice way of saying "I'll think about it." McCarthy did not agree to make any public remarks in support of the officers, or against the minimizing of the seditious acts of those who attacked the Capitol.
This photo. Wow.
McCarthy and Fanone were joined by Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, another officer who responded to the insurrection, and someone without whom Officer Fanone said he couldn't walk through the halls of Congress. The meeting occurred as many Republicans are trying to move past the January 6th attack, hoping to distance themselves from the violence, while also denying that it was that serious. Although the GOP has blocked all efforts to create a bipartisan commission, Democratic leadership is moving forward with their own special committees to investigate the insurrection.
Prosecutions and plea deals are underway for many involved in the attack, and each court hearing provides the public with more video, audio, and written testimony about the violence and rage that overtook the Capital on January 6th.
