>> IN THE LAST WEEK, THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
CALLED THE EVENTS AT THE U.S.
CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6, QUOTE,
LEGITIMATE POLITICAL DISCOURSE,
LATER WALKING THAT BACK SOME TO
SAY THEY DIDN'T MEAN THE
RIOTERS.
THE RNC ALSO CENSURED TWO OF
THEIR COLLEAGUES FOR
PARTICIPATING IN A CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING
JANUARY 6.
THIS DREW CONDEMNATION AND A
JOINT STATEMENT FROM MORE THAN
100 REPUBLICANS, INCLUDING
LEADERS AND FORMER OFFICIALS WHO
SAID, QUOTE, THERE CAN BE NO
JUSTIFYING THE HORRIFIC ATTACK
THAT DAY, AND WE CONDEMN THE
COMMITTEE FOR EXCUSING THE
ACTIONS OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO
BATTERED POLICE OFFICERS,
RANSACKED OUR NATION'S CAPITOL,
CALLING FOR HANGING THE VICE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
AND SOUTH TO OVERTURN A FREE AND
FAIR ELECTION.
WISCONSIN'S OWN FORMER
REPUBLICAN U.S. REPRESENTATIVE,
REID RIBBLE, WHO SERVED THE 8TH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WAS
AMONG THOSE WHO SIGNED THE
LETTER.
HE JOINS ME NOW FROM HIS HOME IN
TENNESSEE.
AND MR. RIBBLE, VERY NICE TO SEE
YOU AGAIN.
>> IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> SO WERE THE TWO MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS CENSURED KIND OF THE
LAST STRAW FOR YOU HERE?
>> I'VE BEEN FAIRLY OUTSPOKEN
ABOUT IT, AND A NUMBER OF THE
MEDIA CASES AS WELL AS ON MY OWN
TWITTER ACCOUNT, ABOUT
JANUARY 6TH.
THE CENSURE HAD A TENDENCY TO
RUB ME THE WRONG WAY BECAUSE A,
THE RNC DOESN'T GET INVOLVED
MUCH WITH CONGRESSIONAL -- AND
B, THE LANGUAGE OF THE CENSURE
WHERE THEY ACT LIKE IT WAS
NORMAL POLITICAL DISCOURSE WAS
JUST OFFENSIVE TO ME.
THAT'S NOT WHAT POLITICAL
DISCOURSE LOOKS LIKE IN THIS
COUNTRY.
I SERVED SIX YEARS IN THE HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES AND NOT A
SINGLE PERSON EVER CAME IN AND
TRIED TO BEAT DOWN MY DOOR OR
THREATEN ME WHEN I WAS IN
CONGRESS.
THAT'S WHAT REAL DISCOURSE LOOKS
LIKE, WHEN VOTERS COME IN AND
THEY TALK WITH THEIR ELECTED
OFFICIALS ABOUT WHAT CONCERNS
THEM AND TRY TO ADDRESS ANY
GRIEVANCE THEY MIGHT HAVE.
BREAKING WINDOWS, INJURING
POLICE OFFICERS, VIOLENTLY
ATTACKING PEOPLE, THERE'S NO
PLACE FOR THAT IN OUR COUNTRY.
>> THE LETTER THAT YOU SIGNED
OFF ON DESCRIBED THE RNC OF
CEDING CONTROL TO, QUOTE,
GRIFTERS AND EXTREMISTS.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE PARTY
HAS TURNED TO THAT?
>> WELL, THERE ARE CERTAIN
ELEMENTS OF IT FOR SURE.
I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS LEADING THE
PACK IN THAT REGARD.
I DON'T THINK THAT LANGUAGE WAS
TOO SUBTLE.
AND THIS SENSE OF IF WE KEEP UP
THE VICTIMHOOD AND MAKING PEOPLE
FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN
VICTIMIZED HERE, THEY'LL KEEP
SENDING IN THEIR MONEY, IT'S
PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT'S A STRATEGY
THAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
>> SO THE RNC STATEMENT THAT THE
JANUARY 6 ATTACK WAS LEGITIMATE
POLITICAL DISCOURSE SPARKED
OUTRAGE, AS YOU JUST MENTIONED,
BULL WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT
THEY WALKED THAT BACK THEN AND
SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY
WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT THE KINDS
OF PEOPLE WHO BROKE WINDOWS OR
INJURED POLICE OFFICERS?
>> I CAN'T HELP BUT THAT --
EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU MAKE A
STATEMENT, WALKING IT BACK IS
ALWAYS LESS COVERED THAN THE
ACTUAL STATEMENT ITSELF.
AND WHAT THEY REALIZED, AND I
THINK WHAT MCDANIEL REALIZED IS
THEY KIND OF STEPPED IN IT WITH
THAT STATEMENT, AND THEY WANTED
TO DISTRACT AWAY FROM WHAT THEY
SAID THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE
WAS DOING, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY
SHINING THIS BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT ON
IT FOR POLITICAL -- FOR PEOPLE
WHO LIVE IN THE POLITICAL WORLD,
THAT WAS PRACTICALLY POLITICAL
MALPRACTICE.
>> SHOULD ORDINARY CITIZENS AND
VOTERS JUST ACCEPT THAT THIS IS
THE KIND OF THE NEW OR AT LEAST
FACTION OF THE NEW REPUBLICAN
PARTY?
>> IT SURE FEELS LIKE THAT TO
ME.
AND EVEN AS I'M OUT AND ABOUT
AND I TALK WITH A LOT OF FOLKS,
THERE'S KIND OF A HO-HUM
ATTITUDE ABOUT THE EXTREMES ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE PARTY.
WHETHER IT'S THE AOC-BERNIE SAND
DERS WING WANTING TO SPEND
$6 TRILLION THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS
IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN, OR THE
HARD RIGHT WING, YOU KNOW, IN
FRAMING UP PASSIONS THE WAY THEY
DID THAT CAUSED JANUARY 6 AND
SAYING THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN.
MOST AMERICANS, THEY WANT
PROFESSIONALS TO DEAL WITH THIS
STUFF AND BE CIVIL ONE TOWARD
ANOTHER, AND IT'S THIS SMALL
FRINGE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
PARTIES THAT MAKE THE MOST
NOISE.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
>> AND THERE IS A LOT OF NOISE.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR
FORMER CONSTITUENTS HERE IN
WISCONSIN WHO MAY NOW FOLLOW AND
SUPPORT THE WORDS AND DEEDS OF
REPUBLICAN LEADERS WHO MAY
DISREGARD THE VIOLENCE AND THE
OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION IN
FEALTY TO DONALD TRUMP, WHAT
WOULD YOU TELL YOUR FORMER
CONSTITUENTS?
>> I WOULD TELL THEM THAT THEY
NEED TO LOOK AT THE FACTS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP CHALLENGED THIS
ELECTION 60 TIMES IN THE COURTS.
HE LOST.
HE CHALLENGED IT WITH NUMEROUS
RECOUNTS.
HE LOST.
HE'S CHALLENGED IT WITH SEVERAL
AUDITS.
HE'S LOST.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, THERE
WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH FRAUD
IN THIS ELECTION TO HAVE A
DIFFERENT RESULT.
AND WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT,
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THEIR BEST CHANCE OF
CHANGING THE DISCUSSION WOULD BE
AT THE POLLS IN NOVEMBER TO GIVE
THE CONGRESS TO THEIR PREFERRED
CANDIDATES SO THAT THE POLICIES
THAT THEY'RE HOPING TO SEE
ACHIEVED GET DONE THROUGH A
NORMAL POLITICAL MEANS IN THIS
COUNTRY, BUT NOT THROUGH
VIOLENCE OR THREATS OF
INTIMIDATION.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S HOW
AMERICANS SHOULD OPERATE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE OR
REACTION TO THE ONGOING
INVESTIGATION INTO THE 2020
ELECTION HERE IN WISCONSIN?
>> I THINK THEY OUGHT TO PUT TO
BED.
I MEAN, THE FACT OF THE MATTER
IS, PRESIDENT BIDEN WON THE
ELECTION BECAUSE TOO MANY
REPUBLICANS DECIDED TO SPLIT
THEIR VOTE.
THEY VOTED FOR THEIR REPUBLICAN
STATE ASSEMBLYMEMBER, THEY VOTED
FOR THEIR REPUBLICAN SENATORS IN
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, THEY
VOTED FOR REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, AND THEN THEY VOTED
FOR SOMEBODY ELSE BUT DIDN'T
VOTE FOR PRESIDENT.
THERE WERE ENOUGH OF THOSE
PEOPLE THAT SPLIT THEIR VOTES
THAT CAUSED PRESIDENT TRUMP TO
LOSE THE ELECTION.
AND THE COUNT'S BEEN DONE, IT'S
BEEN CERTIFIED, IT'S BEEN
RECOUNTED.
IF THEY HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT
ELECTION INTEGRITY, THEY SHOULD
DEAL WITH THAT FROM A LEGAL
STANDPOINT, BUT HANGING ON TO
WHAT HAPPENED THERE AND TRYING
TO SAY IT WAS FRAUDULENT DOESN'T
HELP ANYBODY.
DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING.
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE, FORMER
CONGRESSMAN REID RIBBLE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.