Madison Cawthorn, Republican Representative of Wisconsin, has increased his support for the Capitol rioters.
Cawthorn stated to a North Carolina news station that the majority of Capitol rioters were "normal" people who were "kinda wandering in."
This week's reports revealed that Capitol rioters assaulted police more than 1000 times on January 6.
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North Carolina GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn doubled down his defense of Capitol Rioters.
Cawthorn spoke exclusively to Smoky Mountain News on September 2, stating that the rioters were mostly "normal people" who were "kinda wandering in."
"I believe there was a small group of protestors from January 6, a minority who actually endangered people's lives. They were very aggressive and busted down the doors. They were also engaging in bare-knuckle fights with the Capitol Police. "Those people, I believe, are dangerous individuals," Cawthorn stated in the interview.
"But the overwhelming majority were normal people who came to protest against their government. Cawthorn stated that they then saw an open door at Capitol's top and were "just kind of wandering into it."
A North Carolina lawmaker called the Capitol riot suspects "political hostages" earlier in the week. Cawthorn spoke at a Franklin, North Carolina event on August 29th. He said that he would "try to bust them out from jail."
Cawthorn stated that "if our election systems are rigged and continue being stolen, it's going to lead to one place and that's bloodshed" in an August 29 speech.
This week's comments come amid reports of more than 1000 assaults on police officers on January 6, according to Axios.
Cawthorn isn't the only Republican who made public statements minimising the violence at the Capitol on January 6. Andrew Clyde, a Republican member of the party, compared Capitol rioters with tourists in May.
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz and others have spoken out in support of the Capitol rioters. They called them "political prisoner" during a press conference held on July 27. Greene and Gaetz made an unannounced trip to the DC Department of Corrections to see the Capitol riot suspects. They claimed that the DC authorities "hide something" and denied them entry.
Numerous Capitol police officers have stated that the January 6 events were anything but peaceful. Officers testified about the racism and physical injuries they suffered during the riot at a hearing held before the House Select Committee on July 27, 2007.
An Insider database shows that more than 630 people were arrested in connection to the riots. They were charged with everything from assaulting law enforcement officers to disorderly conduct within a restricted building.
