Right-Wing Pundit Served With Receipts After Claiming Jan. 6 Was No Insurrection
Conservative radio host and pundit Erick Erickson ended up getting humiliated on social media Tuesday after he claimed that the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, wasn’t an insurrection.
Numerous people on X, formerly Twitter, were quickly able to post receipts showing that the right-wing broadcaster had previously called the events of Jan. 6 “an insurrection” and ― even more shocking ― admitted that then-President Donald Trump was responsible.
It all began after Erickson responded to a post by legal journalist Jeffrey Toobin, who noted that Justice Clarence Thomas was “minimizing the severity of the 1/6 insurrection at the Capitol” during oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court and suggested that his stance was “because his wife was part of the conspiracy.”
Erickson, who is also a non-practicing attorney, disagreed with Toobin and insisted, “There was no insurrection” and said that was “a left/media talking point.”
He added: “It was a riot, yes. It was not an insurrection. Those who believe this don’t actually care about the truth though.”
There was no insurrection. That is a left/media talking point. It was a riot, yes. It was not an insurrection. Those who believe this don't actually care about the truth though. https://t.co/tTBgw1Pw9G
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) April 16, 2024
But many of the people who Erickson claimed don’t actually “care about the truth” apparently did care enough to point out that the “no insurrection” line is exactly the opposite of what he said the day after Trump supporters attacked the Capitol while Congress met to certify the Electoral College vote.
And, yes, they brought receipts.
Erick Erickson, 1/7/2021: “Some of you people should be ashamed of yourselves, but you’ve got no sense of shame.”
Erick Erickson, 4/16/2024: “There was no insurrection. That is a left/media talking point. … Those who believe this don’t actually care about the truth though.” https://t.co/Wnccxw2G1W— Eric Kleefeld (@EricKleefeld) April 16, 2024
You literally said it was an insurrection. Further, we’ve had multiple convictions for seditious conspiracy. https://t.co/A096jN0LAM
— Andrew C Laufer, Esq (@lauferlaw) April 16, 2024
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) April 16, 2024
Considering that people like McConnell and McCarthy (before his Mar-A-Lago reeducation) we're using the I-word IN REAL TIME, the notion that ir was a media talking point is dubious at best. https://t.co/u0LcYw5MQw
— Robert X George (@RobGeorge) April 16, 2024
Ask the cops who got kicked, bit, punched, pushed and beat with poles, debris, gear. Ask former VP Pence about the gallows erected to hang him.
It was a big ass #Insurrection a big one! https://t.co/fOltQw3pBN— Sophia A. Nelson (@IAmSophiaNelson) April 16, 2024
Hmmmm🧐 https://t.co/R44qVC0Q89pic.twitter.com/L8A5LusKmU
— Alex Johnson🇺🇦🇮🇱🇺🇸 (@politikazam) April 16, 2024
It was a violent riot/revolt against our government. It was an attempt to nullify/interfere with/stop/overthrow the results of a democratic election. That, by definition, is an insurrection. Happy to have a conversation on my podcast or your show to discuss it. https://t.co/WhtylTA5Uj
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) April 16, 2024
This is literally you https://t.co/SeHLLaWBsjpic.twitter.com/WShSKT3yHr
— Michael Kaplan 🇮🇱 (@OfficialKappy) April 16, 2024
“This was insurrectionist, and it was inspired by the President of the United States.” @EWEricksonpic.twitter.com/kuItSJiQCJhttps://t.co/1zNjk4cdTq
— Rula Jebreal (@rulajebreal) April 16, 2024
Does anyone respect @EWErickson, the king of flip flopping?
Here’s when he wrote an article about them being “insurrectionists” and blamed Trumphttps://t.co/AGXhAcE8dBhttps://t.co/ZydgGA1X8fpic.twitter.com/RT9B256U85— DallasIndependent🟦 (@NeverDotard) April 16, 2024
HuffPost reached out to Erickson for clarity about his flip-flop, but no one immediately responded.
But this isn’t the first time one of his hot takes about the insurrection has led to him getting burned on social media.
Last September, Erickson was mocked after trying to damn Democrats by bizarrely comparing and contrasting a controversy over Sen. John Fetterman’s casual attire in the U.S. Senate with outrage over the actions of the Jan. 6 rioters:
“Dems who were outraged by January 6 rioters storming the Capitol because of the violence wrought against that great Temple of Democracy are okay with a man at war with the English language and pants getting to wear a hoodie and shorts onto the Senate floor.”
Dems who were outraged by January 6 rioters storming the Capitol because of the violence wrought against that great Temple of Democracy are okay with a man at war with the English language and pants getting to wear a hoodie and shorts onto the Senate floor. Just no bison helmets.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) September 19, 2023