GOP congressman: 'Both sides are at fault' for Trump mob's attack on Capitol

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) on Wednesday blamed the attack on the U.S. Capitol on “both sides” of the political aisle.

“What I’m trying to suggest to you is that both sides are at fault,” Buck told CNN. During his appearance, Buck said he opposes another impeachment of Donald Trump.

Host John Berman pointed out to Buck that the people who attacked the Capitol were supporters of Trump and that Trump’s language ahead of the attack helped to incite the event.

Buck replied that “the people who came into the Capitol are the people who are responsible for this action,” but said, “this animosity that has been building over the years. It wasn’t as if the president gave one speech and all of a sudden people went from perfectly calm and thoughtful demeanor to this violent action that occurred.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has indicated their intent to impeach Trump citing his rhetoric provoking the attack. Trump has insisted that his comments were “totally appropriate.”

From the Jan. 13 edition of CNN’s “New Day”:

KEN BUCK: What I’m trying to suggest to you is that the level of animosity, and the level of, really, vitriol, between these two sides, has been building for five or six years now. And to say that there’s one speech or one incident that caused this group of people to storm the Capitol, is just not accurate.

 

What I’m trying to suggest to you is that both sides are at fault and that in America—

 

JOHN BERMAN, CNN: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. How did the other side — first of all, you keep saying sides here, I keep telling you, I’m not sure Liz Cheney and Nancy Pelosi are a side, together, you keep saying both sides.

 

What on earth did any other side do, than the side that invaded the U.S. Capitol where I believe you’re sitting right now?

 

BUCK: I’m actually standing in one of the House office buildings, but what did the other side do? What — you’re asking me what Democrats have done to make the MAGA crowd mad?

 

BERMAN: One week ago, one week ago, one week ago when the Capitol was overrun, I don’t understand who gets the blame for that other than the people who overran the Capitol and the people who may, and whether or not you agree they did or not, the people who spoke before and may have incited that mob to overrun the Capitol?

 

BUCK: Yeah. First of all, I agree with you that the people who came in to the Capitol are the people who are responsible for this action, but what I’m saying to you is, this animosity that has been building over the years, it wasn’t as if the president gave one speech and all of a sudden people went from perfectly calm and thoughtful demeanor to this violent action that occurred, which is absolutely shameful, I’m not trying to excuse it.

 

But this, the actions that have led up to this are typical of this impeachment.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.