Right-wing radio host Erick Erickson found himself at the center of a social media storm on Sunday after making a seemingly flippant comment about the January 6 riot. The founder of Red State, known for his conservative views and outspoken commentary, sparked a flurry of reminders from critics about his past remarks on the event.
On Sunday, Erickson posted on social media, “Happy January 6 Eve, everyone. NPR has undoubtedly been waiting like a kid who wants something special for Christmas.” His dismissive tone towards the anniversary of the Capitol riot did not go unnoticed, with many pointing out the stark contrast to his earlier comments during the height of the crisis.
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In the midst of the January 6, 2021, riot, Erickson had tweeted a controversial message: “Shoot the protestors.” This inflammatory remark resurfaced quickly as users on X (formerly Twitter) reminded him of his words from that day. “Waive the rules, impeach. Waive the rules, convict,” Erickson had also written, urging swift action against those involved in the riot, reported Raw Story.
He added, “Waive the rules, deny the ability to run for election again,” a statement that many interpreted as calling for extreme measures against Trump and his supporters. Alex Johnson, formerly associated with the conservative anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, posted a reply: “Hey Erick, remember this?” alongside a quote from Erickson following the attack, in which he had described the events as “insurrectionist, and it was inspired by the President of the United States.”
Others were quick to remind Erickson of his earlier stance. Isaac Bailey, a professor at Davidson College, shared a screenshot of Erickson’s call to “shoot the protesters,” simply captioning it with “Dude…” Reporter Joel Delgado also weighed in, commenting, “You’re better than this, Erick.”
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Bloomberg columnist Matthew Yglesias added his voice to the chorus, criticizing conservative figures who downplayed the severity of the riot after initially recognizing its dangerous implications. “But it drives me crazy how many of them knew at the time how bad January 6 was, only to turn around years later and act like only crazy libs would say this,” Yglesias remarked, sharing a screenshot of Erickson’s tweet. Erickson’s attempt at humor on the anniversary of January 6 did little to erase the memories of his past comments, and many are still holding him accountable for his words from that fateful day.