Democrat says GOP colleagues who play down Capitol riot were ‘most scared’ during insurrection

One Republican made a club out of a hand sanitizer stand while others screamed and fled the chambers, says Ruben Gallego

Congressman Ruben Gallego said the Republicans who are most reluctant to investigate the Capitol riot or give commendations to the Capitol police who fought the insurrectionists were among the most scared during the actual attack.

His revelation was made in a reply to a video in which MSNBC hosts Clint Watts and Nicolle Wallace pointed out that Republicans were among the first to flee the interior chambers of the Capitol when the riot broke out.

"We know they were scared that day because we saw them hightailing it out of that room. We saw them calling for help," Mr Watts said. "We saw them trying to contact President Trump to say 'would you call your mob off of us.'"

Mr Gallego confirmed that the Republican lawmakers were among those who feared for their lives on the day of the attack.

"It's true some GOP members of Congress who are treating Capitol Police like s*** were the most scared on the floor," he said.

Mr Gallego said that some of them even fashioned makeshift weapons in anticipation of the attack.

"Jody Hice took apart a hand sanitiser station to make it into a club, [Paul} Gosar & [Andy] Biggs were the first to leave the floor and Representative [Andrew] Clyde was screaming like a banshee," he said.

Republican lawmakers have opposed Democrat-led initiatives to launch an investigatory commission into the 6 January insurrection. Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would establish an inquiry through the use of the filibuster last month.

In the immediate aftermath of the insurrection many Republican lawmakers issued statements condemning the violence – with some exceptions, like Congressman Matt Gaetz who claimed Antifa was behind the attack mere hours after it occurred – but more recently some GOP members have been downplaying the violence that occurred during the insurrection.

Senator Ron Johnson said most of the Capitol rioters were "peaceful protesters," despite video evidence to the contrary. Congressman Andrew Clyde said the attack was like a "normal tourist visit," and later refused to shake the hand of a Capitol police officer injured in the battle to protect him and his colleagues.

Mr Clyde was one of 21 Republicans who voted against providing the Capitol police with the Congressional Gold Medal for defending the lawmakers during the insurrection. Others included Trump supporters Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Mr Gaetz, as well as Mr Biggs and Mr Gosar.