Capitol Cops To Mitch McConnell: Aaayyyyy, Go F*ck Yourself

Oh no, cops and grieving family members politicize insurrection.

Poor Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy were snubbed today at a ceremony to honor police officers with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor given by the US Congress, for their service in defending the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The ceremony was held in the Capitol Rotunda, where almost two years ago Trump supporters had called for the 2020 election to be overturned and for members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence to be killed for not just handing permanent power to Donald Trump.

McConnell was among the congressional leaders on hand to speak in praise of the Capitol Police and DC Metropolitan Police officers who fought back against the mob that day. He said very nice things about the officers who protected the lives of members of Congress:

.@LeaderMcConnell (R-KY): "When an unhinged mob tried to come between the Congress and our constitutional duty, the… https://t.co/XNIuW2iaBJ

— CSPAN (@CSPAN) 1670346376 

"When an unhinged mob tried to come between the Congress and our constitutional duty, the Capitol Police fought to defend, not just this institution, but our system of self-government," McConnell said, which is both nice and has the benefit of being one of the first true things he's ever said.

However, after receiving a copy of the medal, the family of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died from several strokes the day after being assaulted by members of the mob, pointedly refused to shake hands with McConnell or McCarthy, ignoring McConnell's outstretched hand.

@NoLieWithBTC @Acyn here’s a close up: you can see mcconnell really hope each next person will shake as he goes 0… https://t.co/X1ZOB7d4jN

— Brennan Murphy (@Brennan Murphy) 1670346865 

 Gladys Sicknick, Officer Sicknick's mother, explained to CNN, 

They’re just two-faced. I’m just tired of them standing there and saying how wonderful the Capitol Police is and then they turn around and … go down to Mar-a-Lago and kiss his ring and come back and stand here and sit with – it just, it just hurts.

 Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey fact-checked CNN reporter Daniella Diaz's tweet about Ms. Sicknick, because after all, McConnell may have carried water for Trump and voted twice not to impeach him, but unlike McCarthy, who constantly goes to bend the knee at Trump's retirement trash palace, McConnell has not. McConnell even criticized Trump while refusing to do anything to keep him from running again.

“McConnell hasn't gone to Mar-a-Lago or spoken to Trump even.”

— Josh Dawsey (@Josh Dawsey) 1670347290 

Thank goodness for the journalistic imperative to keep grieving parents honest.

McConnell has said previously that he would of course support Trump if the Great Insurrectionist were the 2024 Republican Party nominee. However, McConnell also told reporters today that Trump's recent call to "terminate" the US Constitution, or at least the parts keeping him from power, might indeed be problematic. Asked if Trump's fantasy had changed whether he'd still support Trump if nominated, McConnell offered this vaguely bold almost-condemnation: "What I’m saying is that it would be pretty hard to be sworn in to the presidency if you’re not willing to uphold the Constitution." A profile in not-quite courage, really.

In the medal ceremony today, House Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi said that January 6 was

a day of horror and heartbreak. It is also a moment of extraordinary heroism. [...] Staring down deadly violence and despicable bigotry, our law enforcement officers bravely stood in the breach ensuring that democracy survived on that dark day.

 Among the officers present for the ceremony were US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who led part of the mob away from an entrance to the Senate chamber, along with USCP Officer Harry Dunn, MPD Officer Daniel Hodges (the cop we saw getting crushed in a door by the mob), and retired MPD Officer Michael Fanone, who was attacked with his own taser and suffered a heart attack. All four testified before the House January 6 Select Committee and were mocked by Fox News for being big fakers who overacted just because the Trump Mob was trying to kill them.

Apparently some of Fanone's former colleagues are Fox viewers; Fanone told NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly that at today's ceremony, some members of the MPD heckled him .

“They called me a piece of shit and mockingly called me a great fucking hero while clapping," he said.

Fanone says they called him a disgrace, said he was not a cop anymore, and said he didn't belong at the ceremony. It happened in the rotunda, he said.

 Washington Post reporter Peter Hermann added that Fanone told him, 

"I mean, at the end of the day, if those people are too ignorant to understand what I've been advocating for these past two years and the fact I had a lot to do with us being here today, then f--- them."

 Fanone said he doesn't bring his family to ceremonies: "I don't want them to be subjected to what I am subjected to when I appear with members of my own department, a department I have advocated for at great personal cost."

In conclusion, while the cops at the Capitol on January 6 were heroes, you can go right ahead and continue assuming that most cops are bastards until they demonstrate otherwise the end.

[ Politico / AP / CNN ]

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