GOP uses state capitol protests to redefine ‘insurrection’

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and ALI SWENSON
Associated Press

The silencing of a transgender lawmaker in Montana marks the third time in five weeks that Republicans have attempted to compare disruptive but nonviolent protests at state capitols to insurrections. The tactic follows a pattern set over the past two years when the term has been misused to describe public demonstrations and even the 2020 election that put Democrat Joe Biden in the White House. It’s a move experts say dismisses legitimate speech and downplays the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Ever since, many Republicans have attempted to turn the phrase on Democrats.