>>> EXACTLY 100 DAYS AFTER THE
INSURRECTION AT THE CAPITOL, WE
HAVE OUR FIRST GUILTY PLEA OF
SOMEONE ARRESTED AFTER THE
RIOTS.
SOURCES TELL US JOHN SCHAFER, A
LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE OATH
KEEPERS, HAS ADMITTED TO HIS
ROLE IN THE INSURRECTION TO
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS.
YOU CAN SEE SCHAFER IN THESE
IMAGES RIGHT HERE ARMED WITH
WHAT APPEARS TO BE BEAR SPRAY AS
HE AND OTHER PRO-TRUMP RIOTERS
STORMED THE CAPITOL.
JOINING ME NOW IS NBC NEWS
JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT PETE
WILLIAMSMENT
WILLIAMS.
PETE, GETTING A GUILTY PLEA FROM
SOMEBODY LIKE HIM, SOMEBODY
WITHIN THE OATH KEEPERS, WHAT’S
THAT GOING TO MEAN FOR THE
INVESTIGATION?
>> IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A
VERY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT HERE
BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST GUILTY
PLEA.
WE ALWAYS EXPECTED THERE WOULD
BE LOTS OF GUILTY PLEAS IN THIS
CASE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF
PEOPLE CHARGED WITH GLORIFIED
TRESPASSING CHARGES.
MANY OF THEM WILL PROBABLY PLEAD
OUT.
BUT THIS IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE
AUTHORITIES SAY HE IS A MEMBER
OF THE OATH KEEPERS.
HE DESCRIBES HIMSELF IN COURT
PAPERS AS A FOUNDING, LONG-TIME
MEMBER OF THE OATH KEEPERS, AND
HE SAYS HE ADMITS HE WAS AMONG
THE VERY FIRST TO GET INTO THE
CAPITOL, THE SORT OF VANGUARD OF
PEOPLE WHO BREACHED THE CAPITOL
BUILDING.
THE GOVERNMENT’S THEORY HERE IS
BY GETTING THESE PLEA
AGREEMENTS, THEY CAN BEGIN TO
GET COOPERATION, AND SCHAFER IT
BEGIN TO COOPERATE TODAY, AND
START TO PEEL BACK THE LAYERS ON
WHO EXACTLY WAS IN CHARGE OF
THIS, WHO PLANNED THIS, WHO CAME
UP WITH THE IDEA OF STORMING THE
CAPITOL, WHO WAS REALLY IN
CHARGE ONCE THOSE PEOPLE STARTED
GETTING IN THE BUILDING.
IT’S AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT.
IT’S SOMETHING PROSECUTORS USE
TO TRY AND BUILD CASES AS THEY
GET TO ANSWERS LIKE WHO IS
ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
>> HOW DID THE HEARING GO TODAY?
DOES HE FEEL SAFE NOW THAT HE’S
SPERD
ENTERED A GUILTY PLEA?
NOW THAT HE WILL, I GUESS IN
ESSENCE, SPEAKING TO
INVESTIGATORS?
>> HE DIDN’T INDICATE THAT HE
DIDN’T FEEL SAFE, AND IT WAS
PRETTY CLEAR THIS WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN.
BECAUSE EARLIER THIS MONTH,
THERE WAS A COURT DOCUMENT
INADVERTENTLY FILED IN THE CLEAR
THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER
SEAL, INDICATING THAT HIS
LAWYERS WERE IN INTENSE PLEA
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT,
AND HIS LAWYER SAYS TODAY
THEY’VE BEEN SORT OF ON THIS
PATH FOR A LONG TIME.
SO HE’LL NOW BE RELEASED FROM
CUSTODY.
HE PLAYS IN A HEAVY METAL BAND
CALLED ICED EARTH, AND HE’LL BE
ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT BACK
IN INDIANA.
WHETHER HE FEELS NOW IN ANY WAY
VULNERABLE BECAUSE HE’S GOING TO
BE BASICALLY ULTIMATELY TALKING
ABOUT WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT THE
OATH KEEPERS, IF THAT WAS A
CONCERN OF HIS, HE DIDN’T
EXPRESS IT TODAY.
>> PETE WILLIAMS.
PETE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>> AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN 100 DAYS
SINCE THAT DEADLY RIOT AT THE
CAPITOL.
WHILE MUCH OF THE PHYSICAL
DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPAIRED, FOR
MANY WHO EXPERIENCED THAT DAY,
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL
SCARS DO STILL REMAIN.
I COULDN’T GET THAT -- JUST
LISTEN.
>> I COULDN’T GET THAT CLOSE
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, I WAS
TACKLED.
THEY STOLE MY HELMET, THEY TRIED
TO GET MY GAS MASK.
IT WAS ALL THESE SURREAL THINGS,
LIKE THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING,
THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING, THIS
CANNOT BE HAPPENING.
BUT IT WAS.
I HAVE MOMENTS.
IT COMES BACK IN LIKE FLASHES
AND IT’S HARD TO NOT HAVE IT
WITH YOU EVERY DAY FOR THOSE OF
US WHO WORK AT THE CAPITOL
STILL.
>> THAT WAS CAPITOL POLICE
LIEUTENANT RHANEY BROOKS
DESCRIBING HER EXPERIENCE DURING
THE INSURRECTION.
IT IS PART OF A POWERFUL PROJECT
COMPILED BY NEWS EDITOR KYLE
THORPE THAT YOU CAN FIND ON NBC
NEWS.COM.
>>> CONGRESSMAN DAN KILDEE
INDICATED TO NBC NEWS THIS WEEK
THAT HE SEES A THERAPIST TO DEAL
WITH POST TRAUMATIC-TRAUMATIC ST
TO THE INCIDENT.
THE
THEY HAVE SPENT TENS OF
THOUSANDS FOR THERAPY FOR THEMZ
THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
100 DAYS LATER, WE’RE STARTING
TO HEAR ABOUT THE MULTITUDE OF
FAILURES IN MISSED WARNINGS
BEFORE THE ATTACK ALL LAID OUT
BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE
CAPITOL POLICE IN HIS DAMNING
REPORT ON RESPONSE THIS WEEK.
STILL, THERE IS NO 9/11 STYLE
COMMISSION ON WHAT HAPPENED, AND
IT LOOKS LIKE WE’LL NEVER SEE
ONE.
THERE IS ALSO NO BILL COMBATTING
EXTREMISM SIGNED INTO LAW.
WITH US IS JAKE SHERMAN.
HE WAS THERE THAT DAY AT THE
CAPITOL.
JAKE, GIVEN WHAT WE’VE HEARD
FROM THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, WHAT
WE’VE HEARD FROM THE CAPITOL
POLICE, WHAT WE’RE HEARING FROM
THESE DIMTSINDICTMENTS, I FIND I
MIND-BOGGLING THAT CONGRESS
WOULDN’T WANT TO DO MORE TO
COMBAT A THREAT THAT TARGETS
THEM.
>> TWO POINTS, KATY.
NUMBER ONE, THERE IS A
DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THIS 9/11
STYLE PANEL.
REPUBLICANS WANT TO BROADEN IT
TO FEATURE ALL FORMS OF
POLITICAL VIOLENCE, AND NANCY
PELOSI’S VIEW, AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE WITH HER EVEN QUIETLY
ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, THAT IT
SHOULD FOCUS ON JANUARY 6, THAT
THFLS
THIS WAS AN ATTACK ON THE
BUILDING IN WHICH WE ALL WORK IN
AND CONGRESS MEETS IN, AND IT
SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THAT.
NANCY PELOSI SAYS EVERYTHING
ELSE IS NEGOTIABLE ABOUT THIS,
KATY.
THE NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS ON IT,
THE NUMBER OF DEMOCRATS ON IT,
HOW MUCH IT’S GOING TO SPEND,
HOW LONG IT’S GOING TO GO.
SHE’S FINE NEGOTIATING ON ANY OF
THOSE THINGS, BUT SHE’S NOT FINE
IN NEGOTIATING ON THE SCOPE
WHICH IS A POSITION, FRANKLY,
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE AGREE WITH.
THEN THERE’S THE OTHER SIDE OF
THIS, WHICH IS NANCY PELOSI IN
THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO OR THREE OR
FOUR, WE ANTICIPATE, IS GOING TO
RELEASE A $2 BILLION SECURITY
SPENDING BILL TO FORTIFY THE
CAPITOL.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY
DIFFERENT BUILDING, KATY, SINCE
THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE AND
THE BUILDING I KIND OF GREW UP
IN AS A REPORTER.
IT’S GOING TO BE FORTIFIED WITH
REMOVABLE FENCES, IT’S GOING TO
HAVE A LOT MORE POLICE PRESENCE,
IT’S GOING TO BE A VERY
DIFFERENT BUILDING.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT PEOPLE HAVE
COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT’S
JUST A BIG TARGET IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE CITY, LIKE A SORE THUMB,
SO TO SPEAK.
YOU KNOW, LISTEN, IT’S
POLITICIZED LIKE EVERYTHING
ELSE, AND IT’S HORRIBLE TO SAY
BUT IT HAS TURNED INTO A PROXY
FOR THE RIGHT VERSUS LEFT ISSUES
THAT WE ALL KIND OF HEAR ABOUT
ALL THE TIME.
>> BUT IT KIND OF FOLDS INTO
WHAT WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
NOW FOR TOO MANY YEARS, WHICH IS
YOU’RE TREATING THE SYMPTOMS,
YOU’RE NOT TREATING THE
UNDERLYING CAUSE.
SO IN FORT FIGIFYING THE CAPITOL
EVEN MORE, YOU’RE NOT TREATING
THE CAUSE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING
THERE, YOU’RE NOT FINDING A WAY
TO PASS A DOMESTIC TERRORISM
LAW, YOU’RE NOT TREATING THE
ISSUE OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND
WHAT IS GIVING RISE TO IT.
INSTEAD YOU’RE JUST TRYING TO
PROTECT YOURSELF WITH WALLS AND
BARRIERS.
IT FEELS LIKE -- DO THEY
ACTUALLY EXPECT ANYTHING TO GET
BETTER, OR -- I MEAN, ISN’T
THERE A SENSE OF PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY, MORAL
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFETY OF
NOT JUST THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILIES BUT THE COUNTRY AT THIS
POINT?
>> I WOULD SAY THIS.
AND I’M GOING TO BE VERY CAREFUL
WITH HOW I PUT THIS.
BUT I THINK WHEN YOU DON’T ROOT
OUT THE PROBLEM WHEN IT’S IN THE
BUILDING, I MEAN, WHEN YOU HAVE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO SAY
THINGS THAT ARE WIDELY
CONSIDERED RACIST, THAT ARE
WIDELY CONSIDERED WHITE
SUPREMACIST TROPE AND YOU DON’T
ROOT OUT THE PROBLEM -- FORGET
THE COUNTRY, KATY.
WHEN YOU DON’T ROOT OUT THE
PROBLEM HERE IN THE CAPITOL
WHERE I WANT RIGHT NOW AMONG
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, THEN IT’S
VERY DIFFICULT TO TRY TO SOLVE
LARGER SOCIETAL ILLS.
WE HAVEN’T SEEN THE REPUBLICANS
DO THAT.
WE SAW IT ONCE WITH STEVEN KING
WHO MADE A NUMBER OF RACIST
COMMENTS OVER THE YEARS, WAS
FINALLY REMOVED FROM HIS POST.
IT’S HARD TO SERVE SOCIETAL ILLS
WITHOUT DEALING WITH WHAT
HAPPENS IN THIS BUILDING.