Ted Cruz Is Doing Damage Control For Capitol Rioters

Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are not happy that Mitch McConnell recently called the Capitol Riot a "violent insurrection," and they have been working tirelessly to change the definition of what happened that day. And the pair, along with plenty of other Republicans, have a good reason to NOT use that term - it carries far more weight in court, and the ripple effect could impact Donald Trump. Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

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*This transcript was auto-generated. Please excuse any typos.

Over the past week, we have seen something rather interesting start happening with Republicans after Mitch McConnell came out last Tuesday and said that what happened on January 6th, 2021 was in fact a quote, violent insurrection immediately. We saw all these other little Republicans popping their head out to say, oh no, no, no, no, no. It wasn't an insurrection folks. It was just a riot, basically doing damage control for the capital rioters and beyond. I'll get to the, and beyond in just a moment. But these Republican senators and lawmakers and prominent media folk have made it clear that you can't call it an insurrection. And again, there, there's a very valid reason as to why they're afraid to let that language out there. But let me read this. This is what Ted Cruz said in a recent interview was seen it. I think it's a mistake for Republicans to repeat the political prop of Democrats in the corporate media.

He, he said on scene on CNN. Um, okay. You don't really get to talk crap about corporate media. If you're going on corporate media to spit out your talking points, by the way kind, undermine your message, right. But way he wants to make it clear that we cannot adopt the Democrat's language like Mitch McConnell did. So the reason is very simple. There is a world of difference, legally speaking, between an insurrection and a riot between an insurrection and a violent protest between an insurrection and literally anything else because the penalties for engaging in or openly supporting an insurrection here in the United States are quite intense.

Even for the capital rioters. If they're guilty of participating in an insurrection, then suddenly all the misdemeanor charges that they're facing are out the window. And every single one of them could. In fact, be charged with felony accounts that you know, could have dire consequences for them. But more importantly, it's not just about running interference or doing damage control for the capital rioters what's actually happening here is that they're running interference for themselves. Great example is obviously Madison Callthorne, you know, he is facing expulsion from the ballot in North Carolina for supporting allegedly, according to the claims, the insurrection and the big determination that that state board of elections has to make before they can even rule on whether or not Kath thorn did support it is was it an insurrection using that language, using the word insurrection, especially among right wing officials, if that becomes the accepted term accepted phrase of what happened that day, that absolutely does way differently on the courts who have to make the determination of whether it was an insurrection.

If everybody, it was, if Democrats say it and Republicans say it, then the courts can very easily say, listen, since it is generally accepted, that this in fact was an insurrection, we are going to classify it as such. And if they do that, call thorn could be barred from the ballot. They're attempting to do the same thing by the way, in Colorado with Lauren BT. So she could be kicked off the ballot. Marjorie Taylor green could any Republican who spoke at that stop, the steel rally, which includes Donald Trump could very easily be kicked off the ballot. And more importantly, barred from ever holding the public office in the United States ever again for all of eternity. So that's why Republicans don't want you to use that word, because if it becomes the generally accepted term, much like the phrase bandaid referring to an adhesive strip, you put over a wound, Band-Aid's a brand name, but they actually cannot. So people for using that, uh, uh, brand name as the generic term, because it's become accepted as the general term see kind of a similar situation, I guess. Right? So by all means, folks, if you wanna call it an insurrection, call it an insurrection because if it has Republicans freaked out using that word, then it probably means that's the word we should be using.