Fresno lawmaker blames Donald Trump for US Capitol riot. Says democracy is ‘fragile’
Fresno Democratic Rep. Jim Costa stressed vigilance Thursday as he remembered the day a year ago he was trapped inside the Capitol as extremists led an insurrection.
The District 16 congressman was in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as a mob of President Donald Trump supporters and others forced their way past police and into the building, ending in a halt to the constitutional process of certifying the Electoral College count following the previous year’s presidential election.
Many legislators and others watched in horror as the unruly crowd scaled walls and smashed windows at the Capitol, which has been closed to visitors throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
“This violent mob not only were attempting to overturn a fair and free election, they at the same time were violating one of the most sacred trusts that we have in our country,” Costa said on Thursday, “which is after an election, regardless of who wins and who loses, we have a peaceful transfer of power.”
Asked about what he is doing to protect the country’s democracy and voting rights, Costa pointed to his support pending legislation, HR 4 — the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, meant to address voter suppression.
“With social media and with perpetration by others, the fact is that voting rights are being trampled upon,” he said. “That’s why the John Lewis Voting Rights legislation that I voted for in the House — now in the Senate — is so critical. So that we protect every American’s right to vote and be counted.”
Costa said it felt surreal to be in the Capitol chambers as people banged on the doors and officers fired off tear gas in the rotunda.
“We witnessed a year ago today, as resilient as our country has been, how fragile our democracy can be,” he said. “It’s not about me or my safety. It’s really about our country.”
Hours after the riot began, Trump encouraged supporters who stormed the Capitol in protest of his reelection defeat to “remain peaceful,” but he did not immediately call for them to disperse.
The insurgents’ claims that the election was stolen were unfounded.
The voter turnout in November 2020 was the largest in the country’s history, and no significant cases of voter fraud were found in any of the audits nationwide. Certain counties around the country, including some in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, saw multiple audits from different entities and found no discrepancies.
“There was no fraud, there was no manipulation of the ballots,” Costa said during a media call Thursday, recalling the events from last year. “Even when that group that was hired that had no previous experience in county ballots in Arizona, when they finished their counting, like in other states they determined Biden had actually gained seats.”
Social media will continue to be an issue in future elections, Costa said, because it played a role in sharing misinformation in the last election. He also, like President Joe Biden, blamed Trump for stirring up the mob.
Valley ties to insurrection
Federal prosecutors have arrested more than 630 people insurrectionists, including at least two in the central San Joaquin Valley.
Fresno anti-mask activist Benjamin Martin faces charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced in December.
Martin was arrested on suspicion of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building; obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder; and obstructing or impeding an official proceeding, according to a criminal complaint posted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Ricky Christopher Willden of Oakhurst, a self-proclaimed member of the Proud Boys was arrested June 30. Willden, 39, made his initial court appearance in a California courtroom June 30. He was charged with federal offenses that included assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers and acts of physical violence in the Capitol building or grounds, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 5:21 PM.
