Karl Rove: GOP must condemn rioters, reject election conspiracy theories

On the eve of the Capitol insurrection anniversary, one of American conservatism’s most influential architects urged Republicans to condemn the Capitol insurrection for the good of the country.

“On the anniversary of Jan. 6, I’m addressing squarely those Republicans who for a year have excused the actions of the rioters who stormed the Capitol, disrupted Congress as it received the Electoral College’s results, and violently attempted to overturn the election,” wrote Karl Rove, a former senior advisor in the George W. Bush administration and political commentator, in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal.

Rove condemned efforts at “soft pedaling” the events of Jan. 6, arguing that any downplaying of the violence or mob’s motivations was a danger to the country.

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“They smashed doors and windows, illegally entered the Capitol, ransacked offices and searched for leaders of Congress, and made dire threats about what would happen if they found them,” Rove wrote, noting that in the year since 725 people have been charged for crimes connected to the riot and 163 people have pleaded guilty.

Rove speculated on what Republicans would have done had Democrats organized a similar violent insurrection on former President Donald Trump’s certification in 2017, questioning if GOP lawmakers and rank-and-file would still endorse the actions as “patriotic” or somewhat justified.

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“If Democrats had done what some Trump supporters did on that violent Jan. 6, Republicans would have criticized them mercilessly and been right to do so,” he wrote.

Urging for Republican lawmakers to “put country over party,” Rove contested that “true patriotism” required an honest examination of the motives and dangers posed by the insurrection, namely that the rioters were encouraged by Trump to stop the certification of the election with force.

“Love of country demands nothing less,” Rove wrote.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karl Rove says Republicans must condemn Capitol attack