Garrity praised rioters, questioned 2020 election in unearthed posts

Newly unearthed Facebook posts show Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election and praising the violent rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The posts suggest that Garrity, who is now the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, was more sympathetic to the rioters and their cause than previously known.

The rioters were supporters of President Donald Trump who were trying to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election. Trump claims the election was stolen from him through a vast conspiracy involving electioneering and voter fraud. The rioters broke windows, assaulted police officers, and defecated in hallways.

As this chaos was unfolding, the official Facebook page for Garrity’s 2020 campaign posted a statement condemning the violence and offering prayers for law enforcement. The post was written in Garrity’s voice, but metadata indicates it was published by a hired consultant.

Several commenters responded to this post defending the rioters. Garrity responded to one of these individuals from her personal Facebook account, seemingly referring to the rioters as “patriots” and noting that she had attended a protest against certifying the election the previous day.

“I am proud of our Patriots,” Garrity said. “Just want to make sure our patriots, law enforcement, and soldiers are safe. I went to Harrisburg yesterday and spoke at the vets rally against what happened in PA in November.”

Another commenter said the riot was about “fighting communism” and expressed concern that Garrity was becoming “part of the swamp” by refusing to acknowledge that.

“I am not going to become part of the swamp!” Garrity shot back. “I spoke at the rally in Harrisburg yesterday condemning the election and lack of integrity. Just want to make sure that law enforcement and soldiers and our patriots don’t get hurt.”

In another post, Garrity said she agreed with a commenter who said the riot was “caused by outside influencers.”

This is not the only time Garrity has defended Trump’s election fraud lies.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election, Garrity’s campaign joined a Trump campaign effort seeking to invalidate more than 2,000 mail-in ballots from Bucks County. The Commonwealth Court rejected the petition. Trump then appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which rejected the petition as well.

In May 2022, Garrity appeared with Trump at a rally in Greensburg. Trump said on stage that Garrity personally told him “you lost [in 2020] and it’s not possible.” Garrity then came to the podium and repeated those remarks.

“I’m telling you, this is the first time we had a Republican treasurer in 20 years, and the first time a Republican beat a Democrat incumbent since 1988, and I have President Donald J. Trump to thank for that,” Garrity said. “We know that he won.”

A focal point of Trump’s election fraud claims is Philadelphia, where he says, without evidence, that people voted illegally and stuffed ballot boxes. Garrity backed up these claims in an August 2024 radio interview with John Fredericks.

“I think that there’s probably always been fraud in Philadelphia, and there always will be fraud in Philadelphia,” Garrity said. “It’s just a matter of what, to what degree.”

Multiple lawsuits and independent investigations have affirmed that the 2020 election was fair and that President Joe Biden won. Biden beat Trump in Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes.

On the first day of his second term, Trump pardoned all of the Jan. 6 rioters and has since moved to have some of their criminal records expunged. In January 2025, Garrity told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she didn’t have an opinion on the pardons.

Garrity is challenging Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro who is running for reelection.