Over the weekend, House Republicans released thousands of hours of footage from January 6 after newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson announced his intention to do so. The response from the far-right? Incredibly reasonable. Devoid of conspiracy theories. Definitely not anything that could be described as “unhinged” or “completely insane.”
Just kidding, of course. Instead, right-wing Republicans unsurprisingly lost their minds and dove even further into the deep end of deranged, half-baked explanations for what really happened on January 6, 2021. Leading the charge was Utah senator Mike Lee, best known for saying in late 2020 that he was spending “14 hours a day” trying to help Donald Trump steal the election and urging then chief of staff Mark Meadows to grant lawyer Sidney Powell an audience with the president.
On Saturday, Lee retweeted an image being circulated by right-wing social media users showing a rioter walking through the Capitol who conspiracy theorists claim is actually a member of law enforcement disguised as a Trump supporter. (The individual in question has been identified as convicted rioter Kevin Lyons.) “Can’t wait to ask FBI Director Christopher Wray about this,” Lee wrote.
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Later, responding to a clip of footage shared by former GOP representative Liz Cheney, who served as vice chair of the January 6 committee, he doubled down, saying, “How many of these guys are feds? (As if you’d ever tell us).” In response, Cheney suggested—not unreasonably!—that her former colleague is a “nutball conspiracy theorist.”
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Naturally, chief conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene weighed on the matter over the weekend, demanding that Speaker Johnson create another January 6 select committee to go after the original panel’s members and exonerate Trump’s supporters.
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Maria Bartiromo wants to know if “there [is] a chance that China released this virus on America intentionally? Disrupt the country, get Donald Trump out, get your man in there, Joe Biden, and then cover it up?”
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Joe Biden’s got jokes
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Fox News: Stone him!
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Oops, wait, just kidding
X content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Elsewhere!
Federal Court Moves to Drastically Weaken Voting Rights Act
The New York Times • Read More
Nikki Haley, Self-Styled Reasonable Republican, Says She’d Support Six-Week Abortion Ban
Vanity Fair • Read More
Many former Trump aides say he shouldn’t be president. Will it matter?
The Washington Post • Read More
GOP Senator Goes All In on ‘Nutball’ Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theories
HuffPost • Read More
Senate Dems stake their 2024 hopes on last 2 red-state incumbents
Politico • Read More
Trump and Bolsonaro salute Javier Milei as far right rejoice around the world
The Guardian • Read More
Napoleon’s Hat Sells for $2.1 Million at Auction in France
The New York Times • Read More
School district to fork over $200K to settle Satanic Temple lawsuit and allow ‘After School Satan Club’ events
New York Post • Read More
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
The post MAGA Republicans Lose Their Minds Over New January 6 Footage appeared first on Vanity Fair.