Former Capitol Police sergeant. Aquilino Gonell criticized Republican lawmakers for welcoming former President Trump with open arms in closed-door meetings earlier this week, while Trump touted having a “great relationship” with the Republican Party in the House and Senate.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Jason Johnson, Gonell – who defended the Capitol during the January 6, 2021, insurrection – called your hug of Trump “very disappointing”.
“All the sacrifices we made on January 6th to keep the same members who, yesterday, applauded and congratulated the former president, as if he had done something great at the Capitol,” Johnson said on Friday. They seem to forget how scared they were.”
“It’s amazing that instead of giving the police officers this kind of reception, they chose to give this to the former president,” he continued. “The same guy who put their lives and our lives at risk.”
Gonell later added: “Instead of holding him [Trump] responsible for this, instead of denouncing him, they chose him as a hero.”
His comments came after Trump made his first visit to the Capitol since the riots and his recent conviction in the Manhattan silence case. After separate meetings with the House and Senate GOP, he said he and lawmakers agreed on “pretty much everything.”
Trump briefly told reporters after his Senate visit that the conversation was “great” and that the Republican Party has “tremendous unity” and “common sense.” He added that the meeting with the Chamber showed the same unity.
“We have one thing in mind: making our country great,” said the presumptive Republican nominee.
Trump has apparently even mended fences with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is stepping down from his leadership role at the end of his term. The two have had a rocky relationship since 2020, a rivalry that reached its lowest point in 2022.
Gonell, in Friday’s interview, noted that he has lost trust in Republican-elected officials to protect the Constitution or democracy. He added that Thursday’s meetings show that the Republican Party “only has allegiance” to one person: Trump.
The former police officer also told Johnson that he lost his career following injuries he suffered during the Capitol riots. He added that he no longer believes he can trust Republican elected officials.
“When I was still in the recovery process, I had this fight in my mind, like, okay, what if there’s another January 6th? And will Republican elected officials support me…or help me close the doors?” Gonell said. “Or do I have to watch the threat in front of me and them behind me?”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
