Brooks Wore Body Armor to Speak at Jan. 6 Rally

Mo Brooks says he was warned of potential trouble days earlier
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 29, 2021 6:49 AM CDT
Mo Brooks Wore Body Armor to Trump's Jan. 6 Rally
Rep. Mo Brooks wears a "Fire Pelosi" hat as he speaks Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, at a rally in support of then-President Donald Trump called the "Save America Rally."   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

After a mob of then-President Trump supporters stormed the Capitol after his Jan. 6 rally, Capitol police officers said they were underequipped and warnings of potential violence had not been passed on. But Rep. Mo Brooks, who spoke at the rally, was prepared for trouble. "I was warned on Monday that there might be risks associated with the next few days,” he told Slate this week. "And as a consequence of those warnings, I did not go to my condo. Instead, I slept on the floor of my office. And when I gave my speech at the Ellipse, I was wearing body armor." At the rally, the Alabama Republican told Trump supporters that "today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass."

Brooks—the first House Republican to confirm that he would object to certifying the election results—did not disclose who gave him the warning. MNSBC host Ali Velshi said it could be a good question for the House select committee investigating the attack. Brooks told Slate on Wednesday that he has "no clue" whether he could be subpoenaed, and he was too busy to watch the committee's Tuesday hearing. He said there were probably a "half-dozen different motivations that affected people in varying degrees" to attack the Capitol, including COVID-19 financial losses, belief in election fraud, and a "great love and respect for President Trump." (The DOJ is allowing a lawsuit from a Democratic lawmaker over Brooks' speech to proceed.)

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