Response to Republican Legislators participation at Minnesota “Storm the Capitol” rally

St. Paul, Minnesota — Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler released the following statements on the participation of Republican Representatives Susan Akland, Steve Drazkowski, Mary Franson, Glenn Gruenhagen, Eric Lucero, and Jeremy Munson in the “Storm the Capitol” rally on January 6th. 

“The violence we witnessed in Washington DC has no place in our nation, nor does the rhetoric that encouraged it, incited it, and celebrated it — including at an event at our State Capitol,” said Speaker Hortman. “The Republican members who attended this event must renounce the violent rhetoric used at the rally they attended and renounce the seditious rhetoric and insurrection that occurred in Washington DC. It is reprehensible that an event these members attended called for civil war and casualties.” 

“For weeks, the nation’s top Republican politicians used language and rhetoric that incited this week’s failed attack on American democracy,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “On the same day a violent mob invaded our nation’s capitol, Republican politicians in Minnesota turned a blind eye to violent rhetoric spoken in front of our State Capitol. These Republican members need to be held accountable if they fail to denounce threats made against public servants and our democratic process. This is about whether democracy, rule of law, and the Constitution govern this nation, or whether this nation is governed by a violent mob.”

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