FILE PHOTO: Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump climb a wall during a protest against the certification of the 2020 presidential election results by the Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 6, 2021. Picture taken January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart
WASHINGTON 鈥� Standing amid a throng of flag-waving supporters of President Donald Trump in front of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, Rick Saccone decided to capture the historic moment.
The former Pennsylvania state lawmaker handed his cell phone to his wife to record his message. 鈥淲e are trying to run out all the evil people and RINOs that have betrayed our president,鈥� said Saccone, using a term to disparage moderate Republicans as Republicans In Name Only.
鈥淲e are going to run them out of their offices,鈥� he said and posted the video to his Facebook page without giving it a second thought. The next day, he was forced to quit his job.
Saccone, 63, resigned as a political science adjunct professor at Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania where he taught for 21 years, after the video was widely condemned.
In an interview with Reuters, he said he regretted making the video, but said his message was taken too seriously.
鈥淲e were just playing, having fun,鈥� said Saccone, who has removed the video from his social media account. 鈥淚鈥檝e been making Facebook Live videos for years. They鈥檙e meant to be lighthearted.鈥�
Saccone, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2018, said he was exercising his constitutional First Amendment right to free speech and did not go inside the Capitol nor participate in any violence. He said he received hundreds of death threats after the video went viral.
Saccone joins a growing number of Trump supporters facing unexpected consequences after photos and images surfaced online of their presence during the siege of the U.S. Capitol.
Five people died, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer, when supporters of the president stormed the legislative complex as lawmakers began certifying Democrat Joe Biden鈥檚 victory over the Republican Trump in the November election.
Trump has claimed, without evidence, that he won the election.
Many participants documented their involvement in the day鈥檚 events on social media. Some went without wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection, making them easy for armchair detectives to identify.
Some have lost their jobs. Some face criminal charges. The Pentagon has opened 25 investigations into domestic terrorism related to the riot. The FBI has asked the public for tips on those involved in the assault.
鈥淢any of Trump鈥檚 followers are living in a fantasy world,鈥� said Eric Foner, an American historian and author of the book 鈥淩econstruction: America鈥檚 Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877.鈥�
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 appear to have given any thought to the consequences of their actions.鈥�
Private plane to a riot
The mob that stormed the Capitol included a disparate collection of anti-government extremists, including 鈥渂oogaloo boys鈥� and white nationalists. It also included some apparently well-to-do Americans, who openly cheered on the violence.
Jenna Ryan, a Texas real estate broker, chronicled her visit to the U.S. capital after arriving on a private plane. Her Facebook page shows she checked into The Westin Washington the night before the rampage.
The following day, while thousands of people fired up by Trump marched towards the U.S. Capitol in an avowed bid to 鈥淪ave America,鈥� Ryan videotaped herself outside the Capitol saying, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be breaking those windows.鈥�
She later tweeted, 鈥淲e just stormed the Capital. It was one of the best days of my life.鈥�
The Trump supporter also posted a photo of herself smiling and flashing a peace sign while standing next to a broken Capitol window. Included in the tweet was a threat against the media. 鈥淎nd if the news doesn鈥檛 stop lying about us, we鈥檙e going to come after their studios next鈥︹��
Days later, amid complaints to the Texas Real Estate Commission demanding it revoke her license, Ryan issued a statement saying she was 鈥渢ruly heartbroken鈥� over the lives lost during the assault.
鈥淯nfortunately, what I believed to be a peaceful political march turned into a violent protest,鈥� she stated on Twitter.
Attempts to reach Ryan were unsuccessful.
The commission, in a statement on Twitter, said that while it did not condone what it called 鈥渢his type of behavior, actions of a license holder that occur outside of a real estate transaction are beyond its jurisdiction.鈥�
Jenny Cudd, a Texas florist, is a former mayoral candidate who videotaped herself saying, 鈥淲e did break down Nancy Pelosi鈥檚 office door and someone stole her gavel.鈥�
Now her business, Becky鈥檚 Flowers, is under fire as well.
鈥淲e do not condone the acts of violence and destruction that occurred at the Capitol,鈥� The Knot, a wedding planning app, said in a statement on Twitter. The app has 鈥渞emoved the Becky鈥檚 Flowers business listing from our vendor marketplace pending further review.鈥�
Attempts to reach Cudd were unsuccessful.