The GOP has drawn backlash over the claim made by the Republican National Committee that the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol was “legitimate political discourse.” Former vice president Mike Pence’s top aide Marc Short refuted the claims, saying that there was none of what it was claiming.
Speaking on NBC, Short, who has reportedly been cooperating with the congressional committee probing the riots, disagreed with RNC chair Ronna Romney McDaniel’s claim that the insurrection was “legitimate political discourse.” When host Chuck Todd asked Short if he thinks there was truth to McDaniel’s claim, Short disagreed.
“From my front-row seat, I did not see a lot of legitimate political discourse,” said Short, who was present at the Capitol with Pence when the insurrection occurred. “But from talking to some members of the RNC, I think there is concern that there were people there that were peacefully protesting who have been pulled into this, where I think it’s become more of a prosecution of the Jan. 6 committee and feel like they’re being unfairly treated.”
Republican officials have not offered evidence that the defendants of the Jan. 6 insurrection were being prosecuted for their political views. Short is one of the former vice president’s top aides who testified before the committee, followed by Pence’s former counsel Greg Jacobs.
Pence also recently called out his former boss during his remarks at a Federalist Society event. The former vice president said that Donald Trump was wrong in saying he had the authority to overturn the elections. Pence reiterated that the vice president has no authority to do so, making him one of the targets of the mob during the riots.
During the weekend, former Republican congressman David Jolly said that while it was good that Pence and Short have now decided to speak out on the attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 elections, they still need to testify about the whole truth.
Speaking on MSNBC Sunday, Jolly expressed that he was unimpressed by Short’s recent statements about the attempted coup, noting that Pence and Short had the most access in stopping what would be Trump’s attempts to stay in power.
Jolly said that Pence and Short need to testify to the committee publicly.