AND SENIOR COLUMNIST FOR THE
DAILY BEAST, MATT LEWIS JOINS
US.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ALL.
OUR TOP STORY THIS MORNING, TWO
MEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED ON
SUNDAY WITH ASSAULT ON CAPITOL
POLICE OFFICER BRIAN SICKNICK,
WHO LATER DIED FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE JANUARY 6th
SUSTAINED IN THE JANUARY 6th
ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL.
JULIAN CAYTER OF PENNSYLVANIA
AND GEORGE TANIOS OF WEST
VIRGINIA ARE ACCUSED OF WORKING
TOGETHER TO USE BEAR SPRAY ON
SICKNICK, BUT ACCORDING TO COURT
DOCUMENTS, AUTHORITIES ARE
STOPPED SHORT OF CHARGING THEM
WITH KILLING HIM.
THE SEARCH WARRANT APPLICATION
SAYS THERE IS VIDEO OF CAYTER
REACHING INTO TANIO’S BACKPACK
AND LATER HOLDING A CAN OF
CHEMICAL SPRAY.
A BODY CAMERA OF ONE OFFICER
CAPTURED A VIDEO OF ONE OF THE
MAN HOLDING A CAN IN HIS RIGHT
HAND AND AIMING IT IN THE
OFFICER’S DIRECTION WHILE MOVING
HIS RIGHT ARM FROM SIDE TO SIDE.
BOTH MEN MADE COURT APPEARANCES
YESTERDAY AND WERE ORDERED TO
REMAIN IN CUSTODY.
JOE, IF YOU FOLLOW THE FBI, THEY
ARE SLOWLY TRYING TO ARREST
ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO WAS
INVOLVED IN ANY VIOLENT AWAY IN
THE CAPITOL RIOT.
AND THEY’RE STILL LOOKING FOR
PEOPLE, BUT THESE TWO MEN, IT
APPEARS, ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO
ARE, YOU KNOW, CHARGING THEM,
HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE
DEATH OF A CAPITOL POLICE
OFFICER.
>> WELL, WE DON’T KNOW THAT.
THAT’S DAVID IGNATIUS, ONE OF
THE THINGS THEY WANTED TO BRING
UP WITH YOU IS, THERE MAY NOT BE
A DIRECT LINK THERE.
WE ORIGINALLY WERE TOLD, I THINK
IT WAS "THE NEW YORK TIMES" TOLD
US THAT HE DIED FROM BEING HIT
BY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER A COUPLE
OF TIMES.
THEN THE CAPITOL POLICE PULLED
BACK AND HAVEN’T -- NOBODY’S
TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT HOW HE
HAS DIED.
THERE HASN’T BEEN A FOLLOW-UP.
THERE ARE QUESTIONS SURROUNDING
THAT.
WAS IT THIS BEAR SPRAY THAT
SOMEHOW CAUSED A CONDITION.
SO WE HAVE THAT QUESTION.
WE HAD PENTAGON OFFICIALS COME
BEFORE CONGRESS A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AGO, BUT NOT THE PENTAGON
OFFICIALS THAT DIDN’T SEND THE
NATIONAL GUARD STRAIGHT OVER.
THERE ARE ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS
THAT CONTINUE TO HANG AROUND THE
WORST ATTACK ON THE UNITED
STATES CAPITOL SINCE THE WAR OF
1812.
AND YET, WE STILL HAVE NO
9/11-TYPE COMMISSION.
WE’RE NOT MOVING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
NANCY PELOSI IS PROPOSING
SOMETHING THAT REPUBLICANS WILL
NEVER AGREE TO, THAT HAS A 7-4
SPLIT BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS.
ISN’T IT TIME FOR THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION TO REACH BACK TO
SOME FORMER REPUBLICAN LEADERS,
LIKE MAYBE TOM RIDGE AND MIKE
MUKASEY AND OTHERS AND SOME
FORMER DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AND JUST GET A 9/11-STYLE COMMISSION
JUST GET A 9/11-STYLE COMMISSION
INSIDE THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH?
>> I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO
HAVE THAT COMMISSION.
THE RECORD THAT THE COUNTRY
NEEDS TO GO FORWARD HAS TO BE
ESTABLISHED IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE
THINK IS FAIR AND IMPARTIAL, BUT
I’M IMPRESSED, JOE, BY THE FACT
THAT THIS INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES TO ROLL FORWARD.
IT’S TRUE, WE DON’T HAVE THE
CORONER’S REPORT, I DON’T
BELIEVE, ON THE DEATH OF OFFICER
SICKNICK, SO YOU CAN’T CHARGE
HIM YET FOR MURDER WHEN YOU’RE
NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW TO CHARGE
THESE TWO SUSPECTS FOR MURDER
WHEN YOU’RE NOT SURE HOW HE
DIED.
BUT THE INVESTIGATION GOES
FORWARD.
THERE’S NO SIGN OF A SPLIT
WITHIN THE FBI ABOUT CARRYING IT
OUT.
THERE’S LESS REACTION TO THE
INVESTIGATION THAN I FEARED
THERE MIGHT BE AROUND THE
COUNTRY, FBI OFFICES, STATE AND
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE GOING
OUT THERE, KNOCKING ON DOORS,
PUTTING TOGETHER COMPLICATED
CONSPIRACY CASES AGAINST THESE
PEOPLE.
SO, YES, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO
HAVE THAT COMMISSION WITH A LOT
OF DISTINGUISHED MEN AND WOMEN
WHO WOULD COME WITH A FINAL
JUDGMENT.
BUT FOR ME RIGHT NOW, IT’S THE
INEXORABLE PACE OF TRACKING DOWN
AND CHARGING AND THEN EVENTUALLY
TRYING THE PEOPLE WHO WERE
INVOLVED THAT DAY.
AND THAT HAVING PUBLIC SUPPORT,
AND IT DOES.
SO THAT’S MY TAKEAWAY, IS
ACTUALLY, THIS IS PROBABLY RIGHT
NOW EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
>> WELL, AND WILLIE, THE FBI
JUST CONTINUES TO DO AN
EXTRAORDINARY JOB SEARCHING OUT
THESE PEOPLE, TRYING TO GET HELP
FROM THE PUBLIC.
FINDING THEM SKPRAND BRINGING TH
TO JUSTICE.
>> THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
THAT BUILDING.
THIS IS A METHODICAL EFFORT.
IT’S BEEN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS
AND THEY’RE USING ALL THE
TECHNOLOGY AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO
CAPTURE IMAGES, TO USE FACIAL
RECOGNITION, TO MATCHUP INSIGNIA
THEY MAY HAVE SEEN ON THEIR
CLOTHING TO SOMETHING THEY’RE
WEARING IN OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS.
THEY’RE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN.
BUT MARA GAY, WHEN YOU READ THE
DETAILS OF THIS CHARGING
DOCUMENT AGAINST THE TWO MEN,
WHO ARE NOT CHARGED WITH THE
MURDER OF OFFICER SICKNICK, BUT
CHARGED WITH ASSAULT, AND YOU
REALIZE THEY WERE CALLING FOR
THE BEAR SPRAY.
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW, BEAR
SPRAY IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS
LIKE.
IF YOU’RE OUT WALKING IN THE
WOODS IN MONTANA, YOU CARRY BEAR
SPRAY SO YOU CAN NEUTRALIZE A
6-FOOT GRIZZLY BEAR.
SO THESE PEOPLE CAME PREPARED.
BUT TO HEAR SOME PEOPLE IN THE
MEDIA AND SOME REPUBLICAN
SENATORS TO DOWNPLAY THIS WASN’T
AN ARMED INSURRECTION, IT WAS A
FEW BAD APPLES AND PEOPLE
STROLLING THROUGH STATUTORY
HALL, THIS CHARGING DOCUMENT IS
ANOTHER PIECE OF EVIDENCE OF
WHAT PEOPLE CAME WITH.
>> PEOPLE CAME IN TACTICAL GEAR
AND WITH ZIP TIES AND BEAR
SPRAY.
WITH ANYBODY WHO HAS EVER GONE
CAMPING IN THE PRESENCE OF ANY
KIND OF BEAR KNOWS, YOU DON’T
USE ON ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
THAT’S TO PROTECT YOU INSTEAD OF
HAVING A GUN, A RIFLE.
THEY ALSO CAME AND PUT A NOOSE
OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL.
SO THESE WERE NOT PEOPLE WHO
CAME TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
AND LEST WE FORGET THAT YOU HAD
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO WERE
TERRORIZED AND TERRIFIED WITHOUT
ANY PLAN FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY OR
THE SAFETY OF THEIR STAFFS.
NOT JUST POLICE OFFICERS WHO
WERE ALSO THERE TO SERVE THE
PUBLIC AND OUR DEMOCRACY, BUT
ALSO THOSE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
AND JOURNALISTS.
SO IN ALL, IT WAS A MASSIVE
FAILURE.
AND I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS THAT AS THESE
PERPETRATORS ARE BROUGHT TO
JUSTICE IN THE CRIMINAL SENSE,
THAT ALSO WE HAVE A 9/11-STYLE
COMMISSION THAT IS, WHEREVER
POSSIBLE, TO THE EXTENT
POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE
PUBLIC CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND