Rep. Steve Cohen warns 'we should all be concerned' about violence during midterms
Rep. Steve Cohen warned on CNN's 'CNN Newsroom' that 'we should all be concerned' about violence similar to the Jan. 6 Capitol Riots during the 2022 midterms
Ahead of the primetime Jan. 6 committee hearings on Thursday, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., warned that we could see more violence comparable to the Capitol riots during the 2022 midterms.
On Tuesday, Cohen appeared on "CNN Newsroom With Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto" when co-host Jim Sciutto remarked on reports suggesting the political environment is just as volatile as it was in Jan. 2021.
"The Justice Department, DHS [is] saying it is no better today, the environment, particularly as it relates to elections, violence around elections like you witnessed yourself on January 6th, no better today than it was prior to January 6th. I wonder for folks watching at home now, should they be concerned that these midterms coming up might be marred by violence?" Sciutto asked.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) questions U.S. Attorney General William Barr during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S., July 28, 2020. Rep. Cohen now serves on the Jan. 6 House Select Committee Chip Somodevilla/Pool via REUTERS
"We all should be concerned about the midterms being harmed and all public officials should be concerned about their own safety up here," Cohen answered.
Cohen added the threat of violence in elections "is something that is a continuing part of American government and American politics."
"The big lie continues, the fealty to Trump continues and the encouragement to the white supremacists and the terrorists to be involved continues. I have no doubt on January 6th, I felt my life was in danger, I was in the gallery, and when I was there, I hollered down to the [House [F]loor and said, ‘Call Trump, and ask him to call off his revolutionary guard.’
On Jan. 6, 2021, protesters stormed the Capitol in Washington. A House committee was tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
"It was clear to me what had occurred that day, and it is still going on, and it continues because the man is intent to get power and the Republicans helped him and the Republicans continue to help him," Cohen said.
Cohen later advertised the upcoming hearings, which are set to air during primetime, as "Watergate with capital letters and exclamation points."
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"So, I think the hearings are going to be very important. Comparing it to Watergate, this is Watergate with capital letters and exclamation points. Nixon was wrong. He was a crook. He sent some of his people to break into the Democratic headquarters. He didn’t send his people to break into the Capitol and take over the government and intimidate, threaten and possibly kill Congress people and senators. There are no Howard Bakers around today who would go to the president today and say you must resign," Cohen said.
CNN expressed excitement over the Jan. 6 committee involving a former ABC News executive as an adviser. (Getty Images)
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Fox News reported on Monday that the January 6 House Select Committee recruited James Goldston, the former president of ABC News, as an adviser to help produce a "blockbuster" presentation of the hearings.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story reported Cohen was a member of the Jan. 6th committee