Miles Taylor Goes Off on Capitol Rally: GOP Looks Like ‘A Tinder for Terrorists’ to ‘Match With an Extremist Politician’
Miles Taylor, the former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff known for the anonymous New York Times op-ed criticizing then-President Donald Trump, blasted the “Justice for J6” rally happening later today.
Taylor told MSNBC’s Lindsey Reiser that the upcoming rally is “personally disturbing” since he has lived in Washington D.C. for 20 years.
“I was here in the years after 9/11 and it didn’t feel like this,” he said. “D.C. was built 200 years ago to be this open, expansive city and open like our democracy, but instead of a shining city on a hill, right now it feels like Fortress America.”
He then underscored that today’s rally is in support of “criminals” who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, not “political prisoners.”
“Let me be clear, these are not political prisoners,” he said. “These are criminals, some of whom are responsible for the death and injury of police officers.”
(While several officers were injured during the attack, none were directly killed. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick was previously believed to have died from injuries sustained, but a medical examiner ruled it from natural causes.)
The group organizing the rally today said in a statement that they “condemn political violence in all its forms” only support “those who have been charged with nonviolent offences.”
Taylor went on to criticize the current state of the Republican Party, saying it looks “less like the party of Lincoln and more like a Tinder for terrorists.”
“The Republican Party — my party — in many cases has continued to promote the big lie, but worse, has offered and vocalized support for these criminals,” he said. “So frankly, I think my party’s got a big decision to make, and that is will our platform continue to be the party of Lincoln and founding ideals or will it be kind of a different platform?”
“Today, I think we look more like a Tinder for terrorists where radicals around the country can swipe right and match with an extremist politician who amplifies their views and then when they get into trouble and commit crime, tries to bail them out from prison,” Taylor continued. “So if you ask me right now we look a little bit less like the party of Lincoln and more like a Tinder for terrorists.”
The Justice for J6 rally is set to begin at noon at Union Square, next to the Capitol Reflecting Pool. According to the Washington Post, organizers are expecting about 700 attendees.
Watch above, via MSNBC
