What does it mean that Republicans keep blaming the left for Jan. 6?

[Nevilledog]

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Philip Bump
@pbump
·
May 28, 2021
This article explores the reasons why Republicans claim that Jan. 6 was a function of left-wing actors, which it obviously wasn't. 1/2

Analysis | What does it mean that Republicans keep blaming the left for Jan. 6?
Is it denial? Misinformation? Rationalization?
washingtonpost.com

Philip Bump
@pbump
But it also raises an obvious point: How are you going to argue that you need to scrutinize election results in Arizona for purported fraud but not want to dig into how antifa did 1/6?

Analysis | What does it mean that Republicans keep blaming the left for Jan. 6?
Is it denial? Misinformation? Rationalization?
washingtonpost.com
7:39 AM · May 28, 2021

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/28/what-does-it-mean-that-republicans-keep-blaming-left-jan-6/

There were thousands of people in Washington because then-President Donald Trump called on people to be there, promising that the day would “be wild.” He and his allies had presented the day as the last chance to derail the inevitable inauguration of Joe Biden, given that Congress was finalizing the counting of electoral votes. Trump that morning reiterated his false claims about the election having been stolen (which it wasn’t) and asked his supporters to march on the Capitol. There, hundreds of people pushed into the building, many — if not most — wearing Trump-branded gear, insignia for far-right groups or carrying Trump-adjacent flags or signs.

To claim that the mob at the Capitol didn’t almost entirely consist of fervent Trump supporters is to go to Green Bay in late November and wonder about the loyalties of all those people wearing hats shaped like hunks of cheese. They were there because of Trump, in support of Trump and sporting paraphernalia indicating allegiance to Trump. It was a Trump mob, and its failed goal was to keep Trump in office. Again, there is no serious question about any of this.

Yet most Republicans claim that somehow the political left is to blame.

The most recent data to that point is perhaps the most remarkable. A poll conducted by YouGov this month for Yahoo News asked respondents who bore blame for the events of that day. The question was asked about each of four people or groups: Trump, Trump supporters, Republicans who pushed the false claim that the election was stolen and left-wing protesters trying to impugn Trump.

More than half of Americans said that Trump, his supporters and the Republicans who backed Trump’s untrue assertions about the election bore at least some blame. Among Republicans, though, only about 4-in-10 blamed Trump supporters. Instead, nearly three-quarters suggested that some or most blame should be placed on those purported left-wing protesters.

*snip*

[Vogon_Glory]

1. Deflection. It's not like the Radical Right-controlled GOP

is going to be honest and admit that January 6th Insurrection was caused by their ideological allies and that at least a couple of their representatives were directly involved with trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The one-time party of “personal responsibility” isn’t into either truthfulness or taking responsibility these days.

[dawg day]

2. They don't actually believe it.

They just want to sht things up so they get a larf out of watching normal people assert, "That's bullsht!"

They have so departed from the truth-- they don't even regard the truth as important anymore. They know what the truth is. They're just lying and larfing.

Sure, some are delusional. Some are so delusional they can actually know some of the people in the attack-- might have been there themselves, and at the same time "KNOW" that really it was Antifa. They are perfectly capable of believing two contradictory ideas at the same time.

But most of these are liars, and eager ones at that. They follow Trump's example-- tell lies so much that the truth ceases to exist.

[Brother Mythos]

3. What does it mean? Well, that's an easy question. It means that ...

Republicultists are lying scum. Next question.

[spanone]

4. A good rule of thumb: They Lie about Everything

[Wounded Bear]

5. Projecting and deflecting. It's what they do...nt

[rickford66]

6. squirrel !!

[jalan48]

7. Messaging propaganda to the followers.

[Shermann]

8. If you believe Antifa orchestrated the Capitol riot...

...you might be a right-wing nutjob.

[Midnight Writer]

9. It means they are hitting on all eight cylinders.

The GOP is a disinformation machine.

It is running as intended.