ICYMI: Sergeant Aquilino Gonell Calls Out Speaker Johnson and MAGA Republicans Embrace of Trump and Big Lie Ahead of Major Jan. 6 Supreme Court Decisions

WASHINGTON, D.C — On Thursday, June 20th, Courage for America Councilmember Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, who was seriously injured defending the Capitol on January 6th, spoke with Joy Reid on MSNBC’s The Reid Out ahead of the Supreme Courts’ decisions for the cases of Fischer v. United States and Trump v. United States. While discussing possible outcomes and implications for the Supreme Court decisions, Sergeant Gonell denounced Speaker Johnson and MAGA Republicans for embracing Trump at the Capitol last week. Below are highlights from the interview:

Joy Reid on MSNBC’s The Reid Out 

*Sergeant Gonell shows shards of glass he recovered from the Capitol to the camera* 

Sergeant Aquilino Gonell: 

“These are shards from the tunnel entrance of the Capitol where I defended that day. I think for you guys to see it, and maybe you could show it to Republican Speaker Mike Johnson. Because last week he was hosting the guy who sent the mob to tear down and knock down some of the doors of the Capitol where I almost died.”

###

Joy Reid: 

“There are 1,400 people who were charged originally. There are 151 who were convicted [on all charges]. 886 were sentenced… The number of people charged with this “obstruction of official proceeding” is 260. If the Supreme Court were to reduce their sentences and to give Donald Trump immunity from prosecution, what would that say to officers like you?”

Sergeant Gonell: 

“It will be a desecration of the sacrifices that we did on January 6th. And is something that had happened because Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, and his MAGA allies have continued to degrade the judicial system to the point of aligning themselves and trying to excuse and downplay what happened on January 6th.”

###

To view the full interview, click HERE.