Across the U.S., people who were at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot are running for office
Several people who were at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot are now running for office, hoping to become the next generation of Republican lawmakers.
One candidate is Teddy Daniels, who posted on Twitter a video from the Capitol with the caption, "I am here. God bless our patriots." Daniels, who describes himself as a "pro-Trump Republican" who is a retired police officer and Afghanistan veteran, is running for office in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District. If he wins the GOP primary, Daniels will go up against Rep. Matt Cartwright (D). The Guardian reports that when asked if he entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6, Daniels responded, "Jan. 6 was a coverup of the Nov. 3rd liberal coup to overthrow the government and steal the election from President Trump."
Tina Forte, who aims to unseat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in a district that is reliably blue, managed social media accounts that promoted the "Save America" rally before the assault on the Capitol, Snopes found, and livestreamed the riot on Facebook. She also entered a restricted area of the Capitol after barriers were taken down. On her campaign website, Forte said she is against masking children and believes "politics needs to stay out of health care!"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Bridge Michigan reports that at least five people who were at the Capitol riot are running for various offices in the state, including Ryan Kelley. Kelley, who wants to be Michigan's next governor, climbed on scaffolding, helped move a police barricade, and waved others toward the riot. Kelley organized rallies against Michigan's pandemic orders alongside another conservative activist, Jason Howland, who made it inside the Capitol and is now running for the state House, Bridge Michigan reports.
They are considered longshots, "but it's dangerous to dismiss these people as fringe or extremists, because the Republicans' actions in Washington and Lansing show that these people are very mainstream in today's party, and they should be taken seriously," Jeff Timmer, former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, told Bridge Michigan.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Magnificent Tudor castles and stately homes to visit this year
The Week Recommends The return of 'Wolf Hall' has sparked an uptick in visits to Britain's Tudor palaces
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
I'm a Celebrity 2024: 'utterly bereft of new ideas'?
Talking Point Coleen Rooney is the star attraction but latest iteration of reality show is a case of 'rinse and repeat'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
The clown car cabinet
Opinion Even 'Little Marco' towers above his fellow nominees
By Mark Gimein Published
-
The clown car cabinet
Opinion Even 'Little Marco' towers above his fellow nominees
By Mark Gimein Published
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations
In the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The Pentagon faces an uncertain future with Trump
Talking Point The president-elect has nominated conservative commentator Pete Hegseth to lead the Defense Department
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'All Tyson-Paul promised was spectacle and, in the end, that's all we got'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
What will Trump mean for the Middle East?
Talking Point President-elect's 'pro-Israel stance' could mask a more complex and unpredictable approach to the region
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published