The former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff has made scathing remarks about attendees of the Justice for J6 rally and the wider Republican Party.
In an interview with MSNBC, Miles Taylor said he finds the rally “personally disturbing” having lived in Washington DC for 20 years.
“I was here in the years after 9/11 and it didn’t feel like this,” he said. “DC was built 200 years ago to be this open, expansive city and open like our democracy, but instead of a shining city on a hill, right now it feels like Fortress America.”
He emphasised that the protest was in support of people who had committed crimes when they stormed the Capitol on 6 January. “Let me be clear, these are not political prisoners,” he said. “These are criminals.”
Mr Taylor went on to condemn the GOP as it stands at the moment, saying right now it looks “like a Tinder for terrorists”.
“The Republican Party — my party — in many cases has continued to promote the big lie, but worse, has offered and vocalised support for these criminals,” he said. “So frankly, I think my party’s got a big decision to make, and that is will our platform continue to be the party of Lincoln and founding ideals or will it be kind of a different platform?”
“Today, I think we look more like a Tinder for terrorists where radicals around the country can swipe right and match with an extremist politician who amplifies their views and then when they get into trouble and commit crime, tries to bail them out from prison,” Mr Taylor added. “So if you ask me right now we look a little bit less like the party of Lincoln and more like a Tinder for terrorists.”
The Justice for J6 rally officially began at Union Square around noon today, and organisers expected about 700 to attend. However, reporters for the Independent said numbers appeared to be around the 200 mark.
