The Federalist Senior Editors Mollie Hemingway and Christopher Bedford, who were on the ground in Washington D.C. on Wednesday during the Capitol breach, told Fox News’s Laura Ingraham on Wednesday that, while the destruction of the Capitol was sad and wrong, it also showcased the hypocrisy of the left and in corporate media.
“Over the last year, political violence has been completely condoned. This has been allowed,” Bedford said.
“Groups that attacked police officers and [perpetrated] riots and burned buildings have their own park named after them right in front of the White House. There was a chorus from media critics and politicians saying that this is justified, that it is in the service of good,” he continued.
Both Hemingway and Bedford also noted that while the rallies for President Donald Trump were “massive,” many people were simply there to protest, not prepared to riot.
“What happened today really stole from the hundreds of thousands of people who were marching peacefully and wanted their voices heard about election integrity,” Hemingway said.
“It brought tears to my eyes and to some of the protestors there who were peaceful,” Bedford said. “An old man looked at a shattered window and said, ‘We don’t do this.'”
Despite some peaceful intentions, Bedford said it was when parts of the protests grew rowdy and a mob moved towards the capitol that the mood of the crowd changed.
“I could tell this was not the same feeling I got at Trump rallies or at Tea Parties 10 years ago. There was underlying anger there,” Bedford said.
“Throughout the crowd, it was visible. Everywhere you looked you could see people who were ready– wearing armor, who had radios and were there for trouble. There were a lot of folks who came up to the capitol looking for a protest and it turned into something violent,” he added.
Hemingway also noted that there were reports of people “who looked like they were geared up and ready for something more intense.”
“I am sure they were infiltrated but some were supporters of the president,” Bedford said.
The infiltration on the Capitol, Hemingway concluded, highlighted the importance of the rule of law in chaotic situations like the one on Wednesday.
“I was surprised by the lack of police presence there today,” Hemingway said. “The first cop I saw was after I made it to the Capitol, hours after I first made it to the events. Usually at one of these things you see cops at every intersection.”
“So many people talked about the experience of rule of law this summer. When Saint John’s church was being burned. When Kenosha was being firebombed. When the Portland federal courthouse was being set on fire… they said that because they care about rule of law. And they meant that not because of who is getting hurt when rule of law is not getting followed, but because rule of law is so important and peaceful protest is so important,” she continued.
