Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) was one of several Republican members of Congress who helped plan the January 6 pro-Trump rally that led to an insurrection, according to a bombshell report by Rolling Stone. The report cited two anonymous sources, one of whom was referred to as a “rally organizer” and the other as “a planner,” who claimed they participated in planning meetings involving members of Congress and White House staff ahead of the attack.
On January 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol with the intent of preventing Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election. The insurrection, which was the first breach of the Capitol since the War of 1812, left 138 police officers injured and five people dead.
The attack happened after months of Republican efforts to overturn the election result and shortly after a rally on the Ellipse where Trump told his supporters to march on the Capitol. Rolling Stone’s report, as well as recent reporting from the Washington Post, help shed light on the events leading up to that deadly day.
Sources for Rolling Stone say they were involved in dozens of meetings to plan pro-Trump demonstrations on January 6. They also claim that Gohmert was one of several Republican members of Congress who directly participated in these conversations or sent their top staff.
Other Republicans that were allegedly involved with the planning include Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Madison Cawthorn of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
Gohmert was a vocal proponent of the Big Lie ahead of the insurrection, at one point even suing then-Vice President Mike Pence in federal court to get the election overturned. In the months after the insurrection, Gohmert has tried to play revisionist history with the events of Jan. 6, going as far as to suggest that the whole thing was a left-wing conspiracy.
Gohmert, who represents an East Texas district, is considered by many to be the dumbest member of Congress. His greatest hits include suggesting that the Moon and Earth’s orbit be altered to address climate change and claiming that pipelines were good for the environment since they resulted in more caribou sex.
In response to Rolling Stone’s article, Gohmert has implied that he intends to sue the two anonymous sources for defamation.
Both of the sources are cooperating with the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 attack. Rolling Stone also reports that a third person involved in planning the rally on that day is working with the committee.
A number of Democrats are calling for members of Congress implicated in the insurrection to be expelled, should investigators find evidence of such coordination. The 14th Amendment requires a two-thirds supermajority to expel a member of Congress, however, a simple majority could exclude a member, effectively barring them from serving another term.
William serves as the Washington Correspondent for the Texas Signal, where he primarily writes about Congress and other federal issues that affect Texas. A graduate of Colorado College, William has worked on Democratic campaigns in Texas, Colorado, and North Carolina. He is an internet meme expert.
