GOP congressman blames Madonna and Robert de Niro for Capitol attack

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) took to the floor Wednesday during Donald Trump’s second impeachment hearing to say the attack on the U.S. Capitol carried out by extremist Trump supporters on Jan. 6 was actually the fault of Democratic rhetoric, specifically that of Hollywood figures like Madonna, Robert De Niro, and Kathy Griffin.

“Madam Speaker,” Buck said, “I’ve heard that President Trump radicalized the group that — the rioters that stormed this Capitol, and I would say that we need to look no further than ourselves to find out what happened and to look at history.”

He added that Americans were “frustrated” by a number of things, including the Mueller investigation into Russian collusion, the prior efforts by the House of Representatives to impeach Trump, the fact that members of Congress boycotted Trump’s inauguration, and that the Washington Post ran a headline critical of Trump the day after the inauguration.

“They were frustrated when members of this House spoke over and over about impeaching the President days into his administration,” Buck said. “And then the socialists in Hollywood joined their allies in Congress. Robert De Niro said that he wanted to punch the president in the face. Madonna thought about blowing up the White House. Kathy Lee Griffin held up a likeness of the President’s beheaded head, and nothing was heard and nothing was said by my colleagues at that point in time.”

But Kathy Griffin was widely criticized and ostracized by both sides of the aisle in 2017 for holding up a severed head of Trump, losing her CNN New Year’s Eve broadcast gig with Anderson Cooper, investigated by the FBI and the Secret Service, and was on the no-fly list for two months.

“Nobody wanted to hear a word from me. I was anathema to everything and everyone,” Griffin said in a 2018 interview.

And Republican claims that no Democrat has condemned violence by figures and groups associated with the left have been repeatedly debunked.

Nonetheless, Trump himself, as well as Republican lawmakers such as Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) have in recent days unjustly blamed Democratic rhetoric for the violence at the Capitol that claimed five lives.

KEN BUCK: Madam Speaker, I’ve heard that President Trump radicalized the group that — the rioters that stormed this Capitol, and I would say that we need to look no further than ourselves to find out what happened and to look at history. Americans were frustrated when they learned that the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign. They were frustrated to learn that the Obama administration and the DNC had created this false campaign against the Trump administration. They were frustrated, Madam Speaker, when the inauguration of the President was boycotted by over 40 Democrat members of this House. They were frustrated to read in the Washington Post the day after the inauguration, ‘Let the impeachment begin.’ They were frustrated when members of this House spoke over and over about impeaching the President days into his administration. And then the socialists in Hollywood joined their allies in Congress. Robert De Niro said that he wanted to punch the president in the face. Madonna thought about blowing up the White House. Kathy Lee Griffin held up a likeness of the President’s beheaded head, and nothing was heard and nothing was said by my colleagues at that point in time. In fact, one Democrat colleague said that Trump supporters should be harassed wherever they are, in restaurants, on the street, in supermarkets.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.