"I Was Nearly Killed on Jan. 6th. Four Years Later, I Feel Betrayed All Over Again."
Plus: Kash Patel Believes the FBI Planned Jan. 6th
Recently in The Bulwark:
BILL KRISTOL & ANDREW EGGER: Our National Day of Shame
JVL: American Tragedy: Joe Biden, Mike Pence, and the Futility of Intentions
Overtime is for everyone. If youāre a subscriber: thank you. If youāre not, thereās no better time to subscribe to Bulwark+ than today. If you like todayās issue, you can share this newsletter with someone you think would value it.
AQUILINO GONNELL: I Was Nearly Killed on Jan. 6th. Four Years Later, I Feel Betrayed All Over Again.
FOUR YEARS AGO, ON THIS VERY DAY, I kissed my wife and son goodbye and went to work in the Capitol, where I served as a member of the U.S. Capitol Police. There were indications that it would be a different day than most, with supporters of then-President Donald Trump gathering in Washington, D.C. to oppose the certification of Joe Bidenās election.
But that morning, when we showed up, none of us anticipated what lay ahead. By the afternoon, an angry mob of insurrectionists had descended on the Capitol complex, storming the security barricades in an effort to overturn the election. It quickly became violent.
WILL SELBER: Veterans Were Behind Both New Yearās Attacks. We Shouldnāt Be Surprised.
IN THE LAST WEEK, two decorated Afghan combat veterans killed more than 14 Americans, injuring dozens more in separate incidents. While federal law enforcement officials are scouring for clues that might link the two incidents, the commonalities between them are striking and depressing, especially for veterans.
Neither former Staff Sergeant Shamsud-Din Jabbar nor Master Sergeant Matthew Livelsberger should be household names. The fact that they are is an indictment of both men, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. We are failing our heroes, and now theyāre killing themselves and others.
š„ PODCASTS AND VIDEOS š§
Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: Bill Kristol: The Preposterous and Ridiculous Lies About the FBI [YouTube]
Just Between Us: The Retconning of January 6 š
Bulwark+ Live:
Four Years After Jan. 6th, Trump Is Heading Back to the White House. What Have We Learned? [YouTube]
Trudeau Resigns! Will Canada Replace Him With Another Trump?
Mike Johnson Acts Like a Child as Kamala Patriotically Certifies the Election
Jan. 6 Was a Horrific Day in American History, MAGA Will Never Admit It
The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood: The Fascinating Legacy of 'Yacht Rock'
Did you know? Bulwark+ members can listen to an ad-free version of these podcasts on the player of their choice.
Learn more at Bulwark+ Podcast FAQ.
š£Bulwark+ members can now listen to ad-free podcasts on Spotify! Learn more here.
Our š„YouTube offerings are the free-versions of shows, and they do have ads.
āļøAlso: Did you know that every podcast has a transcript for B+ members? Yes! If youāre more a reader than a listener/viewer, open any podcast and the transcript button is beneath the player.
THOMAS JOSCELYN and NORMAN EISEN: Kash Patel Believes the FBI Planned Jan. 6th
āWHAT WAS THE FBI DOING PLANNING January 6th for a year?ā
Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trumpās nominee to serve as FBI director, asked that question during a November 25, 2022 episode of his Kashās Corner podcast for the Epoch Times. It was no slip of the tongue. As the title of that episode suggestedāāWhat Did the FBI Know Before Jan. 6?āāPatel spent considerable time trying to cast the FBI as a villain responsible for January 6th. Patel noted that FBI Director Christopher Wray had ātestified that the FBI never instigated or helped the January 6th protesters commit crimes.ā But citing a report that the FBI had confidential human sources in the crowd, Patel asserted: āOkay, well, that was in planning for at least a year.ā
ANDREW LAWLER: Jan. 6th Rioters Claim Theyāre Like the Patriots of 1776. Hereās the Ugly Truth.
FOUR YEARS AGO, AFTER THE MOB that stormed the U.S. Capitol had finally been dispersed, then-President Donald Trump heralded the rioters as āgreat patriots.ā Those who took part in or supported the January 6th insurrection certainly believed that. Some of the groups bound for Washington called their convoys āpatriot caravans.ā In anticipation of that dayās drama, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said January 6th would be āour 1776 moment,ā while Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Co.) said āToday is 1776.ā The nine-page document detailing the Proud Boysā plan to occupy government buildings that day was titled ā1776 Returns.ā Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes told a reporter, āWeāre walking down the same exact path as the Founding Fathers.ā
šØOVERTIMEšØ
Happy Monday! Winter break isnāt over for me, as while today was a planned day off, tomorrow is not. Best purchase? The Meijer Family Fun Toboggan: as advertised! We got just under 9 inches, which was more than enough for Rusty (pictured) and Gus. A great opportunity to reorient the cupboard and make bad culinary decisions.
As I dig out of the snow (and my emails), I hope that if you got hit by Blair, it wasnāt too rough / you didnāt need the emergency lightbulb I recommended.
Welcome and farewellā¦ A hearty Bulwark welcome is in order for Adrian Carrasquillo, whose newsletter āHuddled Massesā is one you are going to love. Welcome, Adrian!
Before she joined us, A.B. Stoddard was one of our biggest fans. She was also one of our earliest contributors and podcast regulars. Back when we did them in studio! Itās been the privilege of a lifetime to work with her, and more than that to count her as a friend. Farewell.
IT WAS, IN FACT, AN ARMED INSURRECTIONā¦ Scott MacFarlane with a thread of all the weapons involved in January 6th.
Rudy Giuliani held in contemptā¦ in case brought by two former Georgia election workers he defamed (CNN).
History will look kindly on the Jan. 6 committeeā¦ Trump wants to put them in jail, but the committee members are patriots who created an important historical record of Trump's self-coup. (Anthony L. Fisher, MSNBC)
Does a new report justify Jan. 6 pardons? In fact, it does the opposite. (Washington Post)
4 years after Capitol attackā¦ Jan. 6 cases hang in the balance with Trump pardons on the horizon (CBS)
Where Does It Come From? Addison Del Mastro imagines the people behind generic consumer products.
The Virtueā¦ of Tuning Out? (Alex Parker, The Ordinary Times)
January 6thā¦ and the Rewriting of Memory (Mike Rothschild)
Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message.
ā30ā
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.
