Turley Weighs in on How Pelosi’s Admissions Highlight Credibility Issues of J6 Committee

Damning video footage going around of then Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) from January 6, 2021 has been going around, as she admitted “I take responsibility” for not being more prepared for the events of that day. As a result, there’s been even more scrutiny of the January 6 Select Committee. 

Law Professor Jonathan Turley had particularly strong words not merely for Pelosi, but for the members of the Select Committee as well, who failed to publicly disclose such footage. It was only just recently released by the House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight. 

…Had Pelosi and other accepted National Guard support and installed fencing as was done at the White House, it is doubtful that the riot on January 6th would have occurred or any disruption would have been far more limited in scope.— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) June 11, 2024

As Turley argued in his post, the event of January 6 might not have gotten so out of had if Pelosi had acted. The members of the Select Committee helped her cover it up:

Had Pelosi and others accepted National Guard support and installed fencing as was done at the White House, it is doubtful that the riot on January 6th would have occurred or any disruption would have been far more limited in scope. The fact that the J6 Committee downplayed this major factor in the riot further undermines how the investigation was framed by the Democratic leadership. Pelosi barred the GOP members selected for the committee, hand picking two anti-Trump Republican members.

The absence of any balance on the committee was evident from the start. There was little effort to present alternative explanations or defenses to critical issues raised in hearings. No opposing witnesses were called who might contradict the narrative put forward by the Committee, including witnesses who would debunk the much-repeated, false claim that Trump wrestled with his driver to gain control of the presidential limo to drive to the Capitol.

With the Speaker admitting on tape that she bore responsibility for the lack of precautions, one would think that the J6 Committee, including then Vice Chair Liz Cheney, would consider that relevant for the public to understand the underlying facts. Instead, it was buried with much other countervailing evidence.

RecommendeAnother key point of Turley’s addresses the left’s hypocrisy when it comes to the outrage involved. Just months before January 6, Lafayette Square faced out of control protests in the days following George Floyd’s death. The National Guard was called in for that situation, with Pete Hegseth detailing the harrowing experience in “The War on Warriors,” which we previewed late last month, shortly before the book’s release. 

Then President Donald Trump had to be taken to safety, for which he received severe mockery for, with the situation also being the source of misinformation. As Turley also noted:

What was so curious about the lack of precautions that morning is that the Capitol had just experienced the violence outside of the White House in the Lafayette Park protests.

To this day, the media and many members continue to repeat false accounts of the Lafayette Park. Many still have stories posted that claim that Lafayette Park was cleared for Trump to hold a photo op in front of a church. I discussed those accounts in testimony before Congress and in columns on the clearing of the Lafayette Park area. NPR still has a story on its website entitled “Peaceful Protesters Tear-Gassed To Clear Way For Trump Church Photo-Op.” More officers were injured in the Lafayette Park protests than on January 6th.

As previously discussed in repeated columns, the House Democratic leadership refused to hold a single hearing with key witnesses on what occurred before the riot. After using a “snap impeachment,” weeks went by without calling such witnesses before the Trump impeachment trial. Such evidence would have challenged the narrative and raised questions over decisions made by Congress that left the Capitol vulnerable to such an attack.

In the Lafayette Park protests, White House officials feared that the compound could be breached by violent protesters who had injured dozens of officers and engaged in arson and attacks around the White House during that weekend. They decided to clear the area to install fencing (which Congress only ordered after the Jan. 6^th riot). They also deployed the National Guard and the “heavier, less lethal weapons” that the Inspector General found were denied to the Capitol Police.

Townhall and our sister site of Twitchy have been covering how Turley has been speaking out about such particularly damning findings from the Subcommittee on Oversight and its chairman, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA).

Last week, for instance, we learned that the Secret Service tried to offer testimony for months to rebut star witness Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony about Trump, but that they were “rebuffed” until the day before the 2022 midterm elections.

Loudermilk has appeared on “The Mark Levin Show,” Just The News, and Fox Business to discuss the latest development.

While on Just the News, he agreed that Pelosi “should take responsibility,” but that he still has questions about such failures. “Why did not her Select Committee investigate that failure,” Loudermilk specifically wanted to know, “that turned into simply a Committee that tried to tie Trump to all these failures instead of looking at the failures within the Capitol.” 

“I still have the questions,” Loudermilk reiterated, speaking about the National Guard. Although Pelosi may have taken responsibility, Loudermilk still lambasted the Select Committee for how “it spends $18 million trying to say that it was Trump’s responsibility that the National Guard wasn’t there, and that the Capitol was breached.”

He also posted that Pelosi’s “admission of responsibility directly contradicts their own narrative,” as he also called for “#J6Truth.”

“Why were they caught flat-footed?”@RepLoudermilk (R-GA-11) says footage of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declaring “I take responsibility” for failing to have a better security plan for the U.S. Capitol on January 6 raises more questions. The video, released by House GOP… pic.twitter.com/PGVMTcQHaE— Real America’s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) June 10, 2024

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Pelosi’s J6 Select Committee spent taxpayer’s money chasing false political narratives and using Hollywood producers for their ‘investigation.’

Her admission of responsibility directly contradicts their own narrative. #J6Truth pic.twitter.com/xbNrkVopo7— Rep. Barry Loudermilk (@RepLoudermilk) June 10, 2024

Larry also did a deep dive analysis word for word of Pelosi’s remarks earlier on Wednesday.

“‘I took full responsibility?’ She never accepted responsibility,” Larry argued about Pelosi. “She deflected it the entire time! In fact, I will argue that the entire January 6 Select Committee was designed to cover this up, to hide the truth, to hide the facts about the most seminal, important aspect of the events of January 6, and that is the lack of security, the lack of coordination, the seemingly inappropriate level of protection for Congress that day.”

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), one of the Republican members vetoed by Pelosi, reposted such footage, along with a reminder about why he and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) weren’t allowed on the Select Committee. 

Banks was calling out Pelosi’s security failures from the start. In a “Fox News Sunday” appearance from July 2021, which we covered at the time, Banks made clear the blame was with Pelosi, noting she “has more control and authority and responsibly over the leadership of the Capitol Police than anyone else in the United States Capitol.” He also offered “she doesn’t want us to ask these questions because at the end of the day she is ultimately responsible for the breakdown of security at the Capitol that happened on January 6th.”

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Had he been able to, Banks wanted to ask about the vulnerability of the Capitol on that day, as he noted how “three weeks before January 6th there were intelligence reports that the leadership of the Capitol Police were aware of.”

Banks and other House Republicans, including Jordan, also released a report in December 2022 about security failures.

.@Jim_Jordan and I were originally selected to serve on the J6 committee.

But Pelosi removed/replaced us with Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because she knew we wouldn’t go along with her lies.

Glad the truth is finally coming out. https://t.co/NGvYScBy77— Jim Banks (@Jim_Banks) June 10, 2024

Trump to Meet With Mitch McConnell for the First Time In Four Years

Former President Donald Trump will meet with the top Republican leader for the first time since he left office in a behind closed-door meeting. 

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) confirmed on Wednesday that he will attend a meeting with Trump and other House Republicans during a conference, hosted at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). 

“I’ll be at the meeting tomorrow,” McConnell told reporters, despite his long-running feud with Trump. 

Thursday’s meeting will be the first time the two GOP leaders will meet face to face-since 2020. 

Trump has repeatedly called for McConnell to be ousted, dubbing him as an “old crow.” 

In 2022, the 45th president demanded the Republican Party to boot McConnell from his position as Senate minority leader for alleged ties to Communist China, calling the GOP senator a “pawn for the Democrats. 

A few months later, Trump called out McConnell for not overturning the 2020 presidential election results, calling him the “worst.” 

On the other hand, McConnell accused Trump of being “morally responsible” for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill protests after recognizing President Joe Biden as the 2020 presidential winner. 

However, the two Republicans seemed to have somewhat repaired their broken relationship this year. 

McConnell endorsed Trump for president earlier this year after he secured the 2024 GOP nomination.

“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” McConnell said. “It should come as no surprise that as the nominee, he will have my support.”

The Senator told reporters he would support the GOP presidential candidate regardless of differences— including Trump. 

“I support him. He’s earned the nomination by the voters all across the country,” he said. 

McConnell also offered Trump support after a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records last month. 

The GOP senator said he expects the conviction to be overturned, adding that the charges should have never been brought against Trump in the first place. 

Pro-Hamas Supporters Seize Building With Cal State University President Inside

Pro-Hamas supporters still aren’t quitting their advocacy for terrorists, nor are they ceasing their tactic of staging January 6-like events and seizing buildings on college campuses. The ‘Storm the Bastille’ protocol was adopted after activists saw that nothing serious happened to the hooligans who stormed and seized a building at Columbia University. These students held the custodial staff hostage. At California State University’s Los Angeles campus, these terrorist supporters stormed a building with the university president inside. Signs of vandalism and destruction are apparent (via LA Times):

It goes from bad to worse. The “Free Palestine” mob that has held the University PRESIDENT of Cal State Los Angeles hostage in a campus building is now looting that very building. No police stopping them. And @CAgovernor @JenSiebelNewsom & @CALtGovernor @EleniForCA & @MayorOfLA… https://t.co/rym1YsfXFv— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) June 13, 2024

Pro-Palestinian protesters take over a Cal State L.A. student services building with the school’s president trapped inside. Activists can be seen vandalising the building as they barricade the entrances. Live breaking new updates – Tonight at 11 from ABC7 https://t.co/PZa2qKHM55 pic.twitter.com/TywQNcPPRF— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 13, 2024

BREAKING:

Anti-Israel students storm administration building at Cal State

University President Berenecea Johnson Eanes & staff are “trapped in the building”

In reality, they are being held hostage but the university frames it as “sheltering in place” pic.twitter.com/HATF4rvtwk— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 13, 2024

The aftermath & destruction of the student services building at Cal State L.A. following the takeover by pro-Hamas agitators. At one point the school president and several faculty were held hostage inside.
Non students agitators will be sent home with participation ribbons. All… pic.twitter.com/6CPwsi2hmg— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) June 13, 2024

Scores of protesters occupied and vandalized a Cal State Los Angeles student services building while administrators were inside for hours before leaving Thursday morning, officials said. 

The student services building was deemed a crime scene by authorities and multiple windows were defaced with messages in red paint. 

Tables, hard-shelled umbrellas and rope still blocked the entrances and exits — though university officials said the building was now vacant. 

Police tape marked many of the haphazard blockades put up by the protesters around 4 p.m. Wednesday, and law enforcement officials are actively investigating the area as a crime scene, according to Erik Frost Hollins, a spokesperson for the school. 

Most of the group that barricaded the building left voluntarily by 1 a.m. Thursday, Hollins said, and the rest left after police ordered a dispersal shortly after. There were no arrests and Hollins was unaware if there were any injuries. 

Hollins said there was “significant damage” on the first four floors of the student services building, including extensive graffiti and paint, as well as damage to equipment, walls and pipes. 

This is what happens when you let the animals run wild. It’s not like we don’t know what happens when you stop locking people up. These kids needed to be hosed down, tear-gassed, shot with rubber bullets, and mauled by the police dogs. 

We’ve had enough. How is no one being charged for this crime? They took hostages, no?

The West Is Sick of the New Woke Jihadism

What are the mobs in Washington defiling iconic federal statues with impunity and pelting policemen protesting?

What are the throngs in London brazenly swarming parks and rampaging in the streets angry about?

Occupations?

They could care less that the Islamist Turkish government still stationed 40,000 troops in occupied Cyprus. No one is protesting against the Chinese takeover of a once-independent Tibet or the threatened absorption of an autonomous Taiwan.

Refugees?

None of these mobs are agitating on behalf of the nearly 1 million Jews ethnically cleansed since 1947 from the major capitals of the Middle East. Some 200,000 Cypriots displaced by Turks earn not a murmur. Nor does the ethnic cleansing of 99% of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ancient Armenian population just last year.

Civilian casualties?

The global protestors are not furious over the 1 million Uighurs brutalized by the communist Chinese government. Neither are they concerned about the Turkish government’s indiscriminate war against the Kurds or its serial threats to attack Armenians and Greeks.

The new woke jihadist movement is instead focused only on Israel and “Palestine.” It is oblivious to the modern gruesome Muslim-on-Muslim exterminations of Bashar al-Assad and Saddam Hussein, the Black September massacres of Palestinians by Jordanian forces, and the 1982 erasure of thousands in Hama, Syria.

So woke jihadism is not an ecumenical concern for the oppressed, the occupied, the collateral damage of war, or the fate of refugees. Instead, it is a romanticized and repackaged anti-Western, anti-Israel, and antisemitic jihadism that supports the murder of civilians, mass rape, torture, and hostage-taking.

But what makes it now so insidious is its new tripartite constituency.

First, the old romantic pro-Palestine cause was rebooted in the West by millions of Arab and Muslim immigrants who have flocked to Europe and the U.S. in the last half-century.

Billions of dollars in oil sheikdom “grant” monies swarmed Western universities to found “Middle Eastern Studies” departments. These are not so much centers for historical or linguistic scholarship as political megaphones focused on “Zionism” and “the Jews.”

Moreover, there may be well over a half-million affluent Middle Eastern students in Western universities. Given that they pay full tuition, imbibe ideology from endowed Middle Eastern studies faculty, and are growing in number, they logically feel that they can do anything with impunity on Western streets and campuses.

Second, the Diversity/Equity/Inclusion movement empowers the new woke jihadis. Claiming to be non-white victims of white Jewish colonialism, they pose as natural kindred victims to Blacks, Latinos, and any Westerner now claiming oppressed status.

Black radicalism, from Al Sharpton to Louis Farrakhan to Black Lives Matter, has had a long, documented history of antisemitism. It is no wonder that its elite eagerly embraced the anti-Israeli Palestine movement as fellow travelers.

The third leg of woke jihadism is mostly affluent white leftist students at Western universities. Sensing that their faculties are anti-Israel, their administrations are anti-Israel (although more covertly) and the most politically active among the student body are anti-Israel, European and American students find authenticity in virtue-signaling their solidarity with Hamas, Hezbollah, and radical Islamists in general.

Given the recent abandonment of standardized tests for admission to universities, the watering-down of curricula, and rampant grade inflation, thousands of students at elite campuses feel that they have successfully redefined their universities to suit their own politics, constituencies and demographics.

Insecure about their preparation for college and mostly ignorant of the politics of the Middle East, usefully idiotic students find resonance by screaming antisemitic chants and wearing keffiyehs.

Nurtured in grade school on the Marxist binary of bad, oppressive whites versus good, oppressed nonwhites, they can cheaply shed their boutique guilt by joining the mobs.

The result is a bizarre new antisemitism and overt support for the gruesome terrorists of Hamas by those who usually preach to the middle class about their own exalted morality.

Still, woke jihadism would never have found resonance had Western leaders —  vote-conscious heads of state, timid university presidents, and radicalized big-city mayors and police chiefs — not ignored blatant violations of laws against illegal immigration, vandalism, assault, illegal occupation, and rioting.

Finally, woke jihadism is fueling a radical Western turn to the right, partly due to open borders and the huge influx into the West from non-Western illiberal regimes.

Partly the reaction is due to the ingratitude shown their hosts by indulged Middle-Eastern guest students and green card holders.

Partly, the public is sick of the sense of entitlement shown by pampered, sanctimonious protestors.

And partly the revulsion arises against left-wing governments and universities that will not enforce basic criminal and immigration statutes in fear of offending this strange new blend of wokism and jihadism.

Yet the more violent campuses and streets become, the more clueless the mobs seem about the cascading public antipathy to what they do and what they represent.