Kaitlin Collins: As we are following one of the most notorious far right leaders of the January 6th riot, a figure that prosecutor say called for a bloody revolution to keep President Trump in power and then acted on it. Returned to the scene of the crime, the U.S. Capitol. Yes, Oathkeeper’s founder, Stuart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years behind bars. You see him here. He was convicted, among many other things, of seditious conspiracy against his own country. Instead, he is walking the hall of the nation’s Capitol after President Trump ordered his release from prison as he is deflecting his role in that attack.
Stuart Rhodes: What did I do on January 6 that caused the harm? Did I touch any officer? Show me the video of me punching anybody. I didn’t touch anyone. I stood outside. I exercised my right to free speech.
Kaitlin Collins: He wasn’t accused of touching an officer or even going into the Capitol that day. But what he was doing on the ground was rallying his troops and directing the attack from his phone. Rhodes actually met with a small group of lawmakers today at the Capitol to advocate for other January 6 prisoners that he says are still in the process of being released and haven’t gotten out yet. Lawmakers meeting with one of this country’s most notorious lawbreakers. And it may not end there. More members of the Republican Party say essentially they’re available to also meet.
Manu Raju: Why do you wanna meet with them?
Rep. Norman: I’d like to hear their side of the story.
Manu Raju: Even if they were, even if they were convicted of attacking police officers.
Rep. Norman: I want to hear their side of their story.
Lauren Boebert: I would certainly be willing to give them a guided tour. There’s no plan right now.
Manu Raju: What do you say to critics who say you bringing back the people who are part of the crime here?
Lauren Boebert: I mean, the Capitol police officers are who took down barricades and gates and opened doors are here and they’ve been here ever since.
Kaitlin Collins: That’s not true. Those officers testified. They said they were overwhelmed by the amount of rioters who were coming in the doors. You can see the images for yourself.
See Capitol police open doors for the protestors below.