In spite of multiple reports confirming the violence of the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, the chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party (LAGOP) is insisting that there were only “a few bad actors” involved and that Louisiana conservatives should “keep fighting the good fight.”
In a newsletter sent on Jan. 11, LAGOP Chairman Louis Gurvich insisted that Donald Trump “never called for violent insurrection,” in spite of proof to the contrary. In addition, Gurvich continued to insist that the fabric of American democracy remains under attack – from the left – and repeated dangerous rhetoric from Ronald Reagan insisting that “Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction,” while adding that he believes the “one generation time-line may have been overly optimistic.”
“Let us never forget that this fight is for the very soul of our nation and we dare not fail,” Gurvich states.
As evidence of the “most dangerous ideas of the far Left,” Gurvich cites statehood for the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, stating that “Puerto Ricans would be fools to take us up on the offer.” He also insists that “legitimate elections have become impossible to conduct in several deep blue states.”
To close out the email, Gurvich urges Republicans to unite under the conservative banner, stating that “Only the Democrats benefit when divisions emerge within our ranks, and we have many battles to fight, starting in the next several days.”
“If we were in the ascendant a few short months ago, sure we can emerge victorious against the corrupt and incompetent regime which Joe Biden will shortly inflict upon the country.”
This rhetoric is particularly alarming given the newly-released information that Capitol rioters were only much closer to Vice President Mike Pence than previously reported, and that they were intent on capturing and assassinating elected officials, including Vice President Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In a second email sent to supporters on Thursday, the LAGOP doubled down, praising Louisiana lawmakers who remain complicit in the attack on the Capitol.
“We are grateful to the Louisiana representatives who refused to appease the book-burning mob and defend the legacy of President Trump: Congressman Steve Scalise, Congressman Garret Graves, Congressmen Clay Higgins, and Congressman Mike Johnson.”
Although these four congressmen voted to object to the Electoral College vote and attempted to overturn the 2020 election, both Congressman Mike Johson and Congressman Garret Graves have stepped forward to say they believe that Trump was at least partially responsible for the incident at the Capitol.
Congressman Steve Scalise published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal urging politicians on both sides to “tone down their rhetoric” for the sake of the country, at the same time acknowledging Joe Biden as the President-elect.
“What happened last Wednesday went well beyond any candidate’s legal right to contest an election and is another glaring sign that public discourse has gotten out of control. With only days to go until President-elect Biden’s Inauguration, our national temperature is far too high. A powder keg had been smoldering long before [Jan 6th’s] events. For the sake of our country, politicians and media figures – of both parties – have to tone down their rhetoric,” Scalise wrote.
