Finding a way forward following the Jan. 6 protest and breach of the Capitol has been elusive for politicians, for those involved in the protest, for the families of those impacted by the event, and for the country.
Jan. 6 related questions and scars linger. Almost two years after the event, the Jan. 6 Committee has resolved little, and several who were arrested following the protest still await sentencing. On Tuesday evening, two GOP leaders were snubbed by the parents of a now-deceased Capitol Police officer during a ceremony to award law enforcement personnel the Congressional Gold Medal.
Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was at the Capitol the day of the riot and suffered a stroke and died on Jan. 7. The connection between the riot and the stroke has been hotly contested. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has referred to Sicknick as a “martyr” who died in the line of duty. Critics of the Democrat’s handling and portrayal of the Jan. 6 event claim the only person who died in the course of the breach of the Capitol was an unarmed woman, Ashli Babbitt, 36, who was shot by an officer.
Attempting to rally and unite the masses under the banner of honoring officers who guard the Capitol, leading Democrats organized a formal celebration at the Capitol Rotunda to award officers in service in D.C. on Jan. 6 with the esteemed Congressional Gold Medal.
Incoming House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell were on the program but were snubbed by the parents of late officer Brian Sicknick. Both Charles and Gladys Sicknick walked past McConnell without shaking his outstretched hand.
Sicknick’s parents later explained they remain angry at Republican lawmakers who sided with Trump and his account of what happened on Jan. 6.
Notably, McCarthy publicly rebuked former President Trump in the early months of 2021 but in recent months has made overtures to rebuild the relationship.
McConnell has been one of the most outspoken leaders in the Republican Party to speak out against Trump’s insistence that the 2020 election was not free and fair.
Officer Sicknick, 42, was a Trump supporter. His death was initially misreported as resulting from being attacked by a mob, but months later, a D.C. Medical Examiner reported Sicknick died of “natural causes,” not homicide.
Gladys Sicknick told CNN that snubbing McConnell was purposeful and that both McConnell and McCarthy are “two-faced.”
Gladys said: “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 [Trump’s] ring. It just hurts.”
The New York Post noted that McConnell “has not visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort,” but McCarthy has visited Trump at his residence in Palm Beach.
Charles Sicknick compared Jan. 6. protesters with Hitler’s “brownshirts.” He told the Huffington Post:
“When I grew up, there was a second World War going on. And Adolf Hitler had these guys, they called them brownshirts. That’s very similar. If you didn’t agree with them, they came in and beat you up,” he said.
McConnell, who has called Trump “practically and morally responsible” for the events of Jan. 6, was one of the speakers at the awards ceremony. After the public snub, the senator thanked officers for “saving our country” and defending the Capitol.
“Because of your bravery and professionalism,” he said, “Congress finished our job that very night. Because you honor your oath to support and defend the Constitution, we were able to honor ours.”
McConnel added: “That is a reality that was made especially clear 23 months ago, but it is true every single day. Thank you for having our backs. Thank you for saving our country. Thank you for being not just our friends but our heroes.”
Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who coordinated the awards ceremony, praised officers for standing against the “gleeful desecration” of the Capitol and the “most staggering assault on democracy since the Civil War.”
Pelosi referred to Sicknick and three police officers who died by suicide after the event as “martyrs for democracy” and noted that “more than 140 members of [the police forces were] left with lasting scars and many more suffering from indelible trauma.”
McCarthy’s comments were positive but more general and conciliatory. He said:
“The Capitol Police and D.C. police are valued members of this community. But they’re also members of another community, the community of law enforcement, the brotherhood of law enforcement.”
McCarthy added: “By awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal, we’re not online honoring them for protecting the nation and community on Jan. 6, but we’re honoring them for the essential brotherhood as well.”
Trump has insisted he told supporters near the White House to “peacefully and patriotically” assemble to share their concerns regarding the 2020 election.
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