During the Capitol insurrection last January 6, the mob of supporters of disgraced former President Donald Trump were also targeting top Democrats in Congress especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. An insurrectionist who threatened to shoot Pelosi on live television pleaded guilty for his participation in the riots.
Georgia resident Cleveland Meredith Jr, who was among the armed insurrectionists during the January 6 riots, recently pleaded guilty to sending threatening messages. Meredith will face up to five years in prison for his actions and is due to be sentenced in December following his guilty plea. Prosecutors are likely going to seek two years in prison for Meredith despite the maximum sentence of five years.
CNN reported that Meredith told a judge that he was simply “having fun” with his dangerous threats. Meredith drove to Washington from Georgia to attend the rally of the twice-impeached former president to protest the results of the 2020 elections. Meredith was also armed with two guns and 2,500 rounds of ammunition at the time of his attendance at the rally that took place hours before the insurrection.
During the riots, Meredith sent a text message to a relative about his intent to murder the Democratic House Speaker, saying that he plans to “put a bullet in her noggin on Live TV.” CNN noted that during Meredith’s prison hearing, the insurrectionist admitted to sending the message and then claimed that it was more of a “political hyperbole” than an actual threat.
Aside from Meredith, six other insurrectionists pleaded guilty to lesser charges Friday last week.
During the 9/11 observance over the weekend, former President George W. Bush took a swipe at the insurrectionists by comparing them to the terrorists that carried out the attacks on September 11, 2001.
“Many Americans struggled to understand why an enemy would hate us with such zeal,” said the former Republican President in his 10-minute speech. “The security measures incorporated into our lives are both sources of comfort and reminders of our vulnerability and we have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from violence that gathers within,”
“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home,” added Bush. “But in their disdain for pluralism, disregard for human life. In their determination to defile national symbols they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them.”