Alleged Capitol rioter apologizes for threatening to ‘assassinate’ AOC
'I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief,' he said.
Garrett Miller, an accused participant in the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, has released a statement apologizing for his call to violence against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Read More: Alleged Capitol rioter’s brother was head of Michelle Obama’s security detail
theGrio reported, Miller of Richardson, Texas faces five criminal charges related to the rioting on Capitol Hill including trespassing and making death threats after tweeting, “Assassinate AOC.” According to the report, the 34-year-old had a rope in his bag during the violent event and shared various photos and statements on social media boasting pride in the “Make America Great Again,” branded merchandise while inside the Capitol.
At the time, his lawyer, Clint Broden, issued a statement on behalf of his client, saying Garret displayed regret for his actions. He claimed he operated in support of former President Donald Trump who faced his second impeachment for inciting the riot.
“He has the support of his family, and a lot of the comments, as viewed in context, are really sort of misguided political hyperbole. Given the political divide these days, there is a lot of hyperbole,” Broden said according to the report.
Still, Ocasio-Cortez feared for her life, during the event and after. CNN correspondent Jessica Schneider shared a clip of AOC expressing how she and her colleagues “narrowly escaped death” as the valiant Trump supporters stormed the federal building.
“I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die,” Ocasio-Cortez said in the video on Jan. 13. According to theGrio, Ocasio-Cortez did not attend the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris out of fear that her GOP colleagues who were exposed for assisting rioters still pose a safety concern.
Read More: Man books flight to Switzerland after assaulting a cop during Capitol Riot
Garrett has now added to his lawyers statement by sharing his own words including an apology to AOC. In his own words, he admitted to being in Washington D.C. on January 6 to support Trump against what he believed to be a stolen presidential election.
“First, let me say that I was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, because I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief. His statements also had me believing the election was stolen from him,” the statement read. “Nevertheless, I fully recognize Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and that the election is over. Donald Trump is no longer president and I would not have any reason to continue to follow his lead.”
He continued to issue his apology to the Democratic representative.
“Second, while I never intended to harm Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez nor harm any members of the Capitol police force, I recognize that my social media posts were completely inappropriate. They were made at a time when Donald Trump had me believing that an American election was stolen. I want to publicly apologize to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and the Capitol police officers. I have always supported law enforcement and I am ashamed by my comments.”
He added, “I want to reiterate that I was not armed when I entered the Capitol and that I stayed in the Capitol’s rotunda. I also left Washington and started back to Texas immediately after President Trump asked us to go home.”
theGrio reported that many of the rioters may not face charges from the Department of Justice. According to the report, federal officials estimate that roughly 800 people unlawfully entered the building. Officials have allegedly argued that those who only entered the building and did nothing else should not face charges. Those who disagree believe it is important to send a forceful message to prevent the behavior from happening in the future. The DOJ has already charged more than 135 individuals with committing crimes in and around the Capitol, and more are expected.
“There is absolute resolve from the Department of Justice to hold all who intentionally engaged in criminal acts at the Capitol accountable,” Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi said in an email according to the report. “We have consistently made clear that we will follow the facts and evidence and charge individuals accordingly. We remain confident that the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. can appropriately handle the docket relating to any resulting charges.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!
