Republican-appointed judge denounces Republican distortions of January 6

A Republican-appointed judge on Thursday blasted as “shameless” attempts by prominent Republican politicians to portray the January 6 riot in a positive light, including by portraying the Trump supporters who dismissed Congress as they have done nothing wrong and by those convicted of crimes political prisoners or hostages.

“In my 37 years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such worthless justifications of criminal activity have become mainstream,” wrote Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the Federal District Court in Washington. “I have been appalled to see distortions and outright falsehoods seep into the public consciousness.”

The comments, made in a archive of seven pages that Judge Lamberth described as notes for what he said Thursday during a Jan. 6 rioter hearing amounted to a scathing and extraordinary take on a vast web of conspiracy theories and untruths about the attack on the Capitol that has permeated the right.

The judge criticized rioter James Little for showing 'a clear lack of remorse' and took the opportunity to also 'set the record straight' on what he portrayed as a wider disinformation campaign, citing the evidence he has absorbed in presiding over many January 6th prosecutions.

“I have been shocked to see how some public figures tried to rewrite history, claiming that rioters behaved 'in an orderly manner' like ordinary tourists, or tortured convicted January 6 suspects as 'political prisoners' or even, incredibly , as 'hostages'.” wrote Judge Lamberth, appointed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan. “That's all ridiculous. But the court fears that such destructive, misleading rhetoric could portend further danger to our country.”

The judge did not name the public figures he accused of spreading disinformation. But both former President Donald J. Trump and Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the fourth-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, have used the term “hostages” to describe the people being prosecuted for entering the Capitol and attacking police officers as part of the mafia. who attempted to stop Congress from certifying Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s Electoral College victory.

Another Republican lawmaker, Trump Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, said in May 2021 that footage of the rioters entering the Capitol and passing through Statuary Hall showed they had done so “in an orderly manner” similar to “a normal tourist visit. ”

And another Georgia Republican, Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, toured a D.C. jail where suspects were being held in March. said they were 'treated as political prisoners' because of their religious beliefs.

Such comments are representative of the broader efforts by numerous Trump-era Republicans and conservative voices to rewrite the history of the January 6 riot as a patriotic act by peaceful protesters who are now being prosecuted. Polls show there are Republican voters they believe more and more.

Rather, Judge Lamberth wrote: “The rioters interfered with a necessary step in the constitutional process, disrupted the lawful transition of power, and thus endangered the American constitutional order. Although the rioters did not achieve their ultimate goal, their actions nonetheless resulted in the deaths of multiple people, injuries to more than 140 law enforcement officers, and lasting trauma to our entire country. This was not patriotism; it was the antithesis of patriotism.”

Judge Lamberth also rejected the idea that the criminal justice system denied such suspects their right to free speech. People have the right to believe and claim that the 2020 election was stolen, the judge wrote, but that does not give them the right to enter a restricted area or prevent insurrection at the Capitol.

“This is a matter of right and wrong,” Judge Lamberth wrote. “Little can't bring himself to admit he did the wrong thing, even though he came close today. So it is up to the court to tell the public the truth: Mr. Little's actions, and the actions of others who broke the law on January 6, were wrong. The court does not expect that its comments can completely turn the tide of untruths. But I hope a little truth goes a long way.”