The false claims about the election being rigged finally resulted in what I feared the most. As of today, five people have died as a result of Trump urging supporters to come to Washington to fight literally over the election results. Their deaths are a direct result from Trump’s incendiary speech on January 6; but Trump does not stand alone in his culpability. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley have been proclaiming the very same rhetoric that the election was stolen, when in fact there is absolutely no evidence this is the case.
Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and everyone one who voted against certifying the electoral votes are just as responsible as Donald Trump for the lives lost from this riot at the Capitol. They have parroted with passion the same baseless lies about the election being rigged as Donald Trump, day after day. The only difference was they were not physically present when Trump went out to speak to his enamored supporters; while they were inside the Capitol proclaiming the very same falsehoods they knew were not true.
Everyone knows the election was not rigged other than those in Trump’s hard core base. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley know – but they wanted to capture Trump’s base support for their own future political endeavors. That holds true for all of those in Congress who voted against the results. Each and every one of them violated their oath of office by voting against the election results.
Their malevolence and greed ultimately resulted in the loss of life for 5 individuals; one being a Capitol Hill police officer who was not participating in the riot. Trump knew he lost the election November 3, but figured if he squawked out the election was stolen over and over again, that people will come to believe it. In time as his psychosis has deepened with the support of his enablers, Trump has become even more determined.
One man who died from the riot was U.S. Capitol police officer Brian D. Sicknick. He woke up Wednesday January 6, like any other morning and went to work at the Capitol. Through no fault of his own his life was stolen by a mob of angry Trump rioters, who were encouraged by our president to make it a “wild day.” Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Josh Hawley, and all the senators and representatives who voted not to certify the election were complicit with the rioters. Trump, Cruz, and Hawley’s hands are covered with the blood of Officer Brian D. Sicknick.
Four other people died during the coup - I prefer to call it a coup because their effort was to keep President Elect Joe Biden from taking office. In essence, the goal was to overthrow the government. One woman, 35 year old Ashil Babbit was shot by police during the riot. Three other individuals Benjamin Phillips age 50, Kevin Greeson, 55, and Rosanne Boylan, 34 died during the riot.
Although it has not been specified what caused their deaths, my guess it is likely due to the crown stampeding into the capital. Their own actions appeared to perpetuate their deaths, but they do not share the responsibility alone. Donald J. Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Josh Hawley, and all who voted against certifying the election results had a hand in the death of these 5 people. Make no mistake – their verbiage incited the rioters even before they got to Washington.
Sen. John Danforth, who was instrumental in getting Hawley elected, was extremely disappointed in his once protégé. "Supporting Josh and trying so hard to get him elected to the Senate was the worst mistake I ever made in my life. Yesterday was the physical culmination of the long attempt ... to foment a lack of public confidence in our democratic system."
Hawley has sustained several hits to his wallet in his efforts to overthrow the will of the American people in the coup attempt. Simon & Schuster scraped his upcoming book. They issued the following statement; "After witnessing the disturbing, deadly insurrection that took place on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Simon & Schuster has decided to cancel publication of Senator Josh Hawley's forthcoming book," "We did not come to this decision lightly."
Now Trump, Cruz, and Hawley want to distance themselves from what happened. Ted Cruz had the audacity to chide Trump for inciting the riot, when he has been instrumental in preparing the groundwork for it since the election. Somehow these three claimed the election was rigged before the election happened.
Don’t separate Cruz and Hawley from Trump; all three of them created this blatant lie that has torn our democracy apart. No Mr. Cruz, you and Hawley were right with Donald Trump all along; just as surely as standing right by Trump's side to incite the rioters. And that goes for the others who refused to certify the election; they all knew the election was secure. This lie has come at a heavy price; the loss of life, and the loss of faith in our democracy.
