“Cruz Would Want Us To Do This:” New Footage From Inside Senate Chamber During Capitol Riots

The New Yorker

January 18, 2021, 8:00 am

Every new video that comes from the storming of the Capitol only goes to show that this was not a harmless bit of protesting and that the people involved went in with the full intent to get the outcome of the election reversed, one way or another.

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The New Yorker recently shared footage captured by reporter Luke Mogelson from inside the Senate Chamber, showing rioters rifling through documents, insisting that Ted Cruz would want them to do it.

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MAGA rioters with flags, Trump hats, and tactical gear swarmed the chambers shortly after members of Congress were evacuated. 

“It’s a PR war,” one of them shouts in Mogelson’s footage. “You have to understand, it’s an IO [information operations] war. We can’t lose the IO war.”

A man carrying what looks to be a bundled up American flag pulls his phone out and starts taking photos of documents left out by members of Congress when they had to leave in a hurry. Another shot shows multiple other people doing the same thing, potentially capturing all sorts of sensitive information.

“There’s gotta be something in here we can f—king use against these scumbags,” another man says, furiously flipping through pages. 

“I think Cruz would want us to do this,” someone with him offers. “I think we’re good.”

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Throughout it all, a man — presumably Jake Angeli — in a horned hat chants unintelligibly from the upper level, providing a dark soundtrack to an already dark day.

Another clip shows a Capitol police officer casually informing the rioters that “this is like the sacredest place,” as if they would have absolutely any reason to care about that. The camera pans to Angeli, sitting in the Vice President’s chair.

But perhaps the piece of footage that sums the whole thing up best shows a number of rioters crowded around the focal point of the Chamber with a massive Trump flag, seemingly posing for a photo as Angeli grabs a megaphone and demands they all say a prayer.

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“Thank you for filling this chamber with patriots that love you. And that love Christ,” Angeli says. “Thank you for allowing the United States of America to be reborn. Thank you for allowing us to get rid of the communists, the globalists, and the traitors within our government. We love you and we thank you, in Christ’s holy name we pray.”

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*First Published: January 18, 2021, 8:00 am