Gosar calls Jan. 6 US Capitol attackers 'peaceful patriots,' says slain rioter 'executed'

Rep. Paul Gosar called the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol rioters “peaceful patriots” and said that Ashli Babbitt, the far-right rioter who was killed by Capitol Police that day, was “executed."

Gosar, R-Ariz., made the remarks Wednesday at a House Oversight Committee hearing in which Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller testified about the Jan. 6 events and the federal response.

“Outright propaganda and lies are being used to unleash the national security state against law-abiding U.S. citizens, especially Trump voters,” Gosar said at the hearing, decrying the ongoing Department of Justice investigation of Capitol attackers. So far, 400 people have been charged with crimes and at least 100 more are expected to be charged.

Gosar, one of former President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress, was one of 139 representatives who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He also is among the lawmakers facing calls for ethics investigations for their roles in the lead-up to the Capitol riot. Last month, Gosar called allegations that he instigated violence or acted illegally "devoid of reality."

At the hearing, Gosar described Babbitt as an unarmed “veteran wrapped in an American flag” and called her death a homicide. The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Babbitt after she attempted to breach a set of doors in the Capitol was cleared of wrongdoing in April. 

“The DOJ is harassing peaceful patriots across the country,” Gosar said.

Earlier this week, Democrat Delina DiSanto announced a bid to challenge Gosar in the 2022 election. By then, congressional districts will be redrawn, potentially shifting political power among Arizona’s nine congressional districts.

Gosar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.