Jesse Scheckner
As Donald Trump continues to gaslight voters about what they saw unfold in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, one cop who was hurt while defending the Capitol that day says he’s heard more than enough revisionist history.
In a new ad from Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, Sgt. Aquilino Gonell says that when Trump calls the mob that tried to block certification of the 2020 election “warriors,” it’s an affront to him and his fellow officers.
“He insults us,” Aquilino says in the 30-second clip, part of an aggressive, $370 million TV, radio and digital ad campaign through Election Day aimed at winning Latino votes.
“The oath that we took to defend our democracy, we take seriously. He does not. I defended the Capitol on Jan. 6. But now we must all defend democracy with our vote.”
Gonell was injured in the attack. He still has limited endurance in his shoulder and has screws and a metal plate holding his right foot together following a bone fusion surgery, according to the LA Times. He also disputed Trump’s claim during this year’s first presidential debate that many of the violent protesters supporting Trump’s baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen “were ushered in by the police” that day.
The ad, titled “Warriors,” is running in English and Spanish. Harris’ campaign said it’s designed to remind Latino voters of Trump’s “repeated and disturbing rhetoric praising the events of Jan. 6 and attacking America’s democratic institutions.” The campaign notes how Trump described Jan. 6 as a “day of love” during a Univision town hall last week and at a Latino roundtable in Doral on Tuesday asserted that America “may never have an election again” if he loses.
The event this week came after a USA Today/Suffolk University poll found Trump leading with Latino voters by 11 percentage points. He and Harris are tied among all voters, according to the survey, which noted that the Vice President has lost ground after surging to a 5-point lead following the Democratic National Convention in August.
Democrats are banking on Jan. 6 being an effective inroad. And polling shows that to be a smart bet; in January this year, 55% of voters told pollsters from The Washington Post and University of Maryland that they believed the Jan. 6 riot was an attack on democracy that should never be forgotten. Nearly the same share said Trump deserves a great deal or a good amount of the blame. A CBS News poll from the same month found 78% of voters disapprove of those who forced their way into the Capitol.
That sentiment isn’t constant across the political divide, however. A POLITICO/Morning Consult poll from December showed 73% of Republicans think there’s been too much focus on Jan. 6. But interest in the issue isn’t likely to wane much more in the near future; early this month, court filings were unsealed in the case against Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 that included new details on the ex-President’s actions before and during the riot.
Gonell, who cited the physical and mental injuries he suffered on Jan. 6 as reasons he was quitting the job in December 2022, campaigned for Joe Biden this year before the President dropped out of the race.
26 comments
Bobblehead Kammy
October 23, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Looks like the Joy and happiness campaign had been replaced by desperation.
Bobblehead Kammy
October 23, 2024 at 1:13 pm
Will there be another commercial showing the Capitol Police Officer murdering an unarmed veteran? Insurrection my azz. It was a protest that went too far but that band of goofballs were never going to overthrow the Government of the United States of America. Armed with American Flags, backpacks, and cellphones. Are you kidding me?
sherry martin
October 23, 2024 at 3:20 pm
The cop stood his ground.
Bobblehead Kammy
October 23, 2024 at 6:55 pm
He murdered an unarmed military veteran. Let’s reverse rolls shall we. Let’s put a white Capitol Police officer that shoots an unarmed black military veteran. I bet Ben Crump, Al Sharpton and others would show and we would have us Federal hate crime charges.
Bill
October 24, 2024 at 10:01 am
She willingly stuck her face where it didn’t belong. If she’d stayed home, she’d still be alive. FAFO. She did and she did.
Ocean Joe
October 25, 2024 at 11:26 am
Trump’s lies caused her death whether folks want to admit that or not.
cassandra was right
October 25, 2024 at 12:05 pm
You want to reverse roles? This IS the reversal! What were you saying through the George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests, marches, and riots? Maybe you remember “You Loot-We Shoot”? All Lives Matter”? Or “Blue Lives Matter”? Were you waving those flags? Did you hop into your pick-up when The Tallahassee Tyrant told you to go rundown some protesters blocking traffic?
Ashli Babbitt’s death was a tragedy. And sadly, for every Ashli there are a hundred Breonna Taylors or Sonya Masseys that too many people just don’t seem to even notice.
WGD
October 25, 2024 at 9:22 am
It was an insurrection. Deal with it.
Michael K
October 23, 2024 at 1:54 pm
It’s called truth.
Michael K
October 23, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Truth is a foreign concept to the disgraced insurrectionist who put his own interests above his oath to uphold the Constitution. He lost the election and incited a riot rather than admit his defeat. He is unfit to serve. There is only one choice for decency in this election, and she will do us all proud.
Bill Pollard
October 23, 2024 at 2:01 pm
It was an attempt to seize the Capitol building, murder select members of the House and Senate, and declare the losing presidential candidate as the winner of the 2020 election. That is considered a coup or an insurrection.
Bobblehead Kammy
October 23, 2024 at 2:04 pm
You really believe that? Now how exactly was this coup going to happen? Were there rogue members of the Army, Air Force and such that were going to assist? You really think this protest that did go to far was intending on this coup with nothing as far as weapons go?
sherry martin
October 23, 2024 at 3:21 pm
The mob didnt think that far ahead since they thought they were doing what trump wanted
Ocean Joe
October 25, 2024 at 11:31 am
What about the guy with zip ties and his mommy? Or the bear spray, or the flag poles, or the excrement your fellow travellers smeared all over the Capitol walls?
Your willingness to admit Trump is not the greatest is horribly undermined by your willingness to make excuses. Yes, we heard them: tourist vist, antifa, feds did it, etc.
This was the most disgraceful day in American history since the bombardment of Fort Sumter.
Lj
October 23, 2024 at 2:48 pm
Desperate
KathrynA
October 23, 2024 at 3:26 pm
Thanks to the capitol police who withstood physical and mental abuse while defending the capitol, democracy and all those within its walls. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude!
Bobble head Kammy
October 23, 2024 at 5:16 pm
You are aware that some of those officers let them in freely right? One person was killed that day. Was it a Capitol Police Officer or an unarmed protestor?
WGD
October 25, 2024 at 9:24 am
Police were killed that day. Stop lying.
cassandra was right
October 25, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Watching Ashli Babbitt die should have been enough for Trump to call off his insurrection attempt. He showed no respect at all for Ashli or the many others whose lives he put in danger on Jan 6.
My Take
October 23, 2024 at 3:50 pm
J6
A big lynch mob.
A traditional rightwing approach.
Bobble head Kammy
October 23, 2024 at 5:17 pm
A lynch mob was going to overthrow the most powerful military in the world? Just when you think you have heard it all.
Ocean Joe
October 25, 2024 at 11:36 am
The military really wasnt there because Trump was blocking the deployment by watching it on tv hoping it would succeed.
But let’s blame Pelosi for not being ready for it because that’s easier than admitting Trump is a scumbag criminal who got his dirtbags to do his dirtywork.
Will be wild! Right, Ed?
Cindy
October 23, 2024 at 6:36 pm
No different then armed robbery and riot’s, also mob rings thieving..
And knocking people out by their drug use.
It’s just who felt it this time
Michael K
October 23, 2024 at 9:16 pm
Millions of dollars in damages to the US Capital and 140 police officers suffered injuries. Yet sycophants in the “party of law and order” see nothing wrong with “dear leader” inciting a riot based on lies. A fish rots from the head down – as if two impeachments, 34 felony convictions, adjudicated sexual abuse, and numerous counts of fraud, and six bankruptcies aren’t enough to convince reasonable persons that the former president is unfit to serve.
No wonder Putin is working to discredit both Harris and Walz with misinformation – he needs and wants his “useful idiot” back in the White House.
Cindy
October 25, 2024 at 8:58 am
For what we saw I think it’s a j ew thing… Kind of like a crow thing
But one started to tell the other how to heal to me.
Jason
October 25, 2024 at 9:01 am
Heel