The conspiracy theories that he put forward, echoed by allies and prominent Republican lawmakers, morphed for thousands of followers into a call for action. NO NEED TO PANIC,” she wrote when the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit brought by Republican-led states alleging election fraud. But his scheme to derail certification would have remained in the realm of fringe fantasy were it not legitimized by some Republican lawmakers. In an interview, Shinn said she came to Washington for one purpose: to confront lawmakers who Trump insisted had stolen the election. In its aftermath, she embraced a new delusion advanced by some Republican lawmakers that the violence was the work of leftists who had infiltrated an otherwise peaceful gathering.

Source: Washington Post January 09, 2021 19:59 UTC