Tuesday, November 5

Michael Fanone Regrets Only One Republican Showed Up at Capitol Hill Event Commemorating Jan. 6

Michael Fanone attends a committee hearing investigating the assault on the Capitol.
Michael Fanone attends a committee hearing investigating the assault on the Capitol.

Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Maribel Velazquez

Former DC Metropolitan Police Department officer, Michael Fanone, could not help but show his annoyance at the lack of audience for Republican legislators at the Capitol to the commemoration ceremony honoring law enforcement officials and protecting the compound during the riots on January 6.

Fanone called the absence of the Republican Party “shameful”He even told CNN that while he didn’t like painting anyone in “broad strokes,” he did regret that only one Republican congressman, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, attended Friday’s ceremony dominated by Democratic lawmakers.

“For the past two years that I’ve been outspoken about January 6, I’ve tried to walk a fine line when it comes to condemning Republicans,” Fanone told CNN. “Nobody likes to be painted with a broad brush. Law enforcement certainly doesn’t like that, and I don’t think all Republicans are sympathetic to the MAGA agenda.”

He also said it was hard to defend the party “that being said, it’s very hard to defend the Republican Party when only one member takes the time to come forward and show support for law enforcement who was there defending them that day. It is shameful. It’s a disgrace to their parties, and it’s shameful behavior.”

Fanone, who served as metropolitan officer for about 20 years Before resigning from the force in December 2021, he received the Presidential Citizens’ Medal, one of the nation’s highest civilian awards, from President Joe Biden during a White House ceremony, denounced the low attendance of the Republican Party at the Capitol event “As someone who previously supported Republican candidates, it’s embarrassing,” the former police officer told Tapper. “But they seem to be a party, right now, that’s shameless.”