Days Before Capitol Riot, GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert Talked Of Violence After Court Case Failed

Just days before the Capitol Hill riot by Trump supporters, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) in a Newsweek interview on January 1 said a federal court’s unwillingness to overturn the 2020 election in favor of Donald Trump will lead to violence. Gohmert along with a group of Republicans filed a lawsuit asking that Vice President Mike Pence be solely allowed to determine whether votes from contested states in the 2020 presidential election could be thrown out.

Gohmert’s case hinged on Pence’s responsibility to introduce presidential electors on the January 6 session of Congress. Even though election results had already been certified in all 50 states, Gohmert believed that if the Vice President refused to introduce, or accept certain electors which would put Joe Biden over 270 votes, the presidential selection would be decided by new votes in the House and the Senate.

Gohmert’s suit was technically filed against Pence who, as the defendant, asked that Gohmert’s suit be dismissed stating that it has more to do with the House and Senate rather than the vice president. Pence has not personally commented on Gohmert’s suit and has kept a consistent distance from attempts to overturn the election.

Lawsuits by Trump allies have proven unsuccessful in overturning the presidential election. Gohmert admitted as much in his Newsweek interview saying “bottom line is, the court is saying ‘we’re not gonna touch this. You have no remedy.’ Basically, in effect, the ruling would be that you gotta go the streets and be as violent as Antifa and BLM.”

On Jan. 6, pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol to try and prevent the election from being certified. Six people so far have died from the incident.