Thread by @JMichaelWaller

Building their narrative: Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing today on “domestic terrorism threat” one year after J6. judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/the-d…

Senator Dick Durbin kicks off the hearing by repeatedly calling J6 an "insurrection" and cited the made-for-TV props of a "Confederate battle flag" and a "noose."

He criticized Republican lawmakers for viewing their opposites as "hostile adversaries."

3) Driving the narrative: Durbin raises "school board meetings" as example of terrorist violence against public officials.

Durbin breaks with his Democratic colleagues to call out "left-wing extremism" in places like Portland.

4) Senator Grassley calls out "nearly 600 riots that came before January 6 violence" and shows video of 2020 "peaceful protests" of arson, tearing down statues, attacking court house, attack on White House, with their 14,000 arrests & 2,000 armed officers, 25 deaths.

5) Grassley: 50 courthouses were attacked last year. 100-night siege on Portland courthouse. Some Dems called police "stormtroopers." Says that before J6, "some were too concerned about optics or the image of National Guard at the Capitol."

6) Grassley: DC @MayorBowser said Portland rioters would be "welcome" in the Nation's Capital.

Smash and grab robberies "have become a way of life" in many American cities. Big rise in targeting of police, other homicides across US.

@MayorBowser 7) "The police aren't just heroes because of January 6 when they defended us in the Capitol," Grassley says. Police across the country are heroes and Americans must defend them.

@MayorBowser 8) Grassley: Biden's National Terrorism Strategy "made no mention whatsoever of the 2020 riots" despite huge number of cases. "There was almost no mention of left-wing terrorism at all." Thanks Durbin for mentioning "left-wing terrorism."

@MayorBowser 9) Grassley: CRT contributes to the violence problem in our society.

"We have to deal with the 2020 riots and January 6 when we look over FBI domestic terrorism projects."

10) Grassley: FBI Director Wray spoke last year of "weaknesses in the left-wing domestic terrorism program that prevented the FBI from getting the visibility they needed during the 2020 riots." Senate has got "next to no information" from FBI about combating left-wing terrorism.

11) Asst Atty General for National Security Mark Olsen testifies. Rattles off cases of domestic terrorism and violence, but says nothing of the deadly 2020 riots.

12) DOJ's Olsen: "We will follow the facts wherever they lead." Elevation of "domestic violent extremists" motivated by "mix of ideology and personal grievances." Describes role of DOJ National Security Division.

Says he's starting a new "Domestic Terrorism Unit."

13) Olsen of DOJ: "We prosecute people for violent behavior, not for their beliefs and personal associations."

Why would an Assistant Attorney General ever have to assure Congress of this?

14) FBI Executive Assistant Director for National Security Jill Sanborn: "The greatest threat" facing the US today are "small cells" that "radicalize online" that "includes both homegrown violent extremists" inspired by foreign terrorists and domestic terrorists.

15) "FBI cannot and will not" open investigations on people solely due to their First Amendment activity, the FBI's Sanborn says. She says she will testify on "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists" and "anti-government or anti-authority violent extremists."

16) Durbin: 89 percent of J6 rioters had no previous records or connections. 40% arrested are business owners and professionals. "Most of them did not come from deep red strongholds," but from Joe Biden areas.

Durbin asks DOJ and FBI about these conclusions.

17) DOJ's Olsen: We must condemn J6 violence "with one voice." (Says nothing about 2020 rioting.)

Durbin appears to be building an argument for monitoring people who aren't associated with terrorist groups and who have no criminal records.

18) FBI's Sanborn: "Indicators and mobilization" are key to observing when people are going to go violent. Important to educate people on those indicators.

Durbin: Extremism goes far beyond organizations (appears to imply they go into ordinary society).

19) Grassley challenges DOJ's Olsen about feds going after parents at school boards. Olsen's National Security Division "is going to be working on school board cases," according to AG Garland.

What is the National Security Division doing with regard to local school board?

20) Olsen tells Grassley that "National Security Division is playing "advisory role" on school board cases.

Says he doesn't see a deeper role for his division, but says that DOJ Criminal Division and Civil Rights Division will focus on school boards.

21) FBI's Sanborn: School boards not a priority of FBI National Security Branch, and that "tagging" of school board cases is merely "an administrative process." Violation of federal law would have to merit FBI involvement, she says.

22) Grassley notes that Sanborn was head of FBI counterterrorism in 2020 and that FBI had opened 5,000 domestic terrorism cases over riots and that 70% were anarchist extremists.

Asks how FBI has improved its ability to track "anarchist extremists"?

23) Sanborn becomes political: Talks of "violence we saw around the peaceful protests of 2020."

24) Senator Hirono: "Is what happened on January 6 domestic terrorism?"

DOJ's Olsen: They are being "investigated ... as acts of domestic terrorism."

Hirono pushes DOJ for "enhanced sentencing."

25) Senator Lindsey Graham: Do you agree with statement that J6 is equal to Pearl Harbor?

Olsen: It was a unique and singular event. Reluctant to compare it with Pearl Harbor.

26) Senator Graham: "I didn't hear a whole lot from my [Democrat] colleagues for nearly an entire year" about Portland violence.

Neither DOJ's Olsen or FBI's Sanborn can answer questions about numbers of Portland arrests.

27) Graham asks DOJ's Olsen about US capability to detect jihadist violence coming from Afghanistan. Olsen won't admit US lost capabilities after Afghan collapse.

Graham asks how many have crossed southern border from "special interest countries."

FBI & DOJ don't have data.

28) Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) calls for prosecution of "every extremist who committed politically motivated violence" on J6 to be prosecuted.

The important point is that he said "violence," and not trespassing or unlawful parading.

29) BIDEN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HASN'T CHARGED ANYBODY WITH INSURRECTION

Senator Mike Lee: "Has anyone been charged with crime of insurrection following January 6?"

DOJ's Olsen, hesitating and waffling: "I am not aware that anybody has been charged with that particular offense."

30) Senator Lee: DOJ had 4-1/2 month delay to Senate letter "followed by a complete refusal" to respond to Senate questions.

Did DOJ use geolocation data in 2020 riots?
DOJ's Olsen doesn't know, can't say.
FBI's Sanborn: "We do often use geolocation data" will provide more info

31) Lee gives excellent line of questioning of unequal treatment of 2020 rioters vs J6 rioters.

Neither DOJ or FBI can answer the questions but FBI offers to help with specifics.

Lee: "I don't want 4-1/2 months to laps again and I don't want responses that are not responsive."

32) Senator Blumenthal is upset about social media not taking down "stop the steal" posts and accounts. Calls out Facebook in particular.

33) DOJ's Olsen: DOJ doesn't investigate people for their First Amendment activities, but social media has increased speed and accessibility of "violent extremist ... content." Biden's National Strategy says its "critical to address the information environment."

34) Blumenthal asks about "other means" to track people off social media. Olsen: "Correct," there are "multiple ways" to track people.

Blumenthal moves on to school board tracking. Olsen: "As a general matter it would not be appropriate to comment ..."

Blumenthal seems annoyed.

35) DOJ's Olsen tells Senator Blumenthal that DOJ has "not seen" any school board issues rising to "domestic terrorism" or "domestic violent extremism."

36) Senator Ted Cruz: How many have been charged with crimes of violence on J6? How many have been charged with non-violent crimes? How many are currently incarcerated? How many are in solitary confinement?

Olsen: "I don't have any information about that, Senator."

37) @SenTedCruz: Americans are "deeply concerned about the politicization of the Department of Justice" under the Biden Administration.

It's been 218 days since senators asked for information.

@SenTedCruz 38) Cruz asks FBI's Sanborn about whether FBI assets were used in planning or execution of violence on J6, about whether FBI assets were present at Capitol on J6, whether FBI assets were involved in violent crimes on J6. Amazing line of questioning.

FBI's Sanborn can't answer.

@SenTedCruz 39) This is an extraordinary and aggressive line of questioning on the part of @SenTedCruz. I wasn't able to transcribe or summarize it quickly enough.

The FBI could not conclusively say "No" to Cruz's questions.

@SenTedCruz 40) Senator Tom Cotton: Did DOJ or FBI have plainclothes officers among the crowd at the Capitol?

DOJ's Olsen: "I'm not aware."

Cotton: Did any enter Capitol on J6?

Olsen can't answer.

@SenTedCruz 41) Senator Cotton asks about Ray Epps was one of 16 of FBI's Capitol Riot Most Wanted Page, then he was removed. Who is Epps and why was he removed from the FBI list?

Olsen can't answer. Passes the buck to FBI's Sanborn. Says "I'm not familiar with the Most Wanted Page."

@SenTedCruz 42) Senator Sheldon Whitehouse reverts from J6 to school board meetings. Line of questions seems to be directed toward collecting intelligence on parental school board activism.

@SenTedCruz 43) Whitehouse: Will DOJ investigate upstream to funders and organizers of J6 violence, or is it under pressure to do so? (Significant that Whitehouse acknowledges that J6 was organized in advance, because he blasted us for saying the same a year ago.)

@SenTedCruz 44) Durbin runs interference for Ray Epps. He references Cruz and Cotton comments about Epps, says he never heard of Epps, but cites a Politifact item attacking Revolver News and enters it into record.

@SenTedCruz 45) Senator Josh Hawley asks about National Security Division personnel involved in J6 and school board investigations Olsen says the Division provides an "advisory role" only.

Hawley stresses concern about federal officials who "track parents at school board meetings."

@SenTedCruz 46) Olsen replies to Hawley that it isn't about monitoring people's free speech, but about protecting teachers and school board members from "acts of violence." Claims not to know of AG Garland's testimony to this effect.

@SenTedCruz Senator Hawley to DOJ's Olsen about feds treating parents of schoolchildren as domestic terrorists: "What we have found consistently about your department is that we can't get a straight answer."

@SenTedCruz 48) Senator Cory Booker asks about firearms on January 6. FBI arrested one on J6 "not within the restricted area," found 3 others "possibly" in restricted area with firearm, and DC police made an arrest. Booker & Olsen specify hockey sticks and flagpoles but no firearms use.

@SenTedCruz 49) Biden's America: Senator Durbin reverts to "school board activity" and welcomes Olsen to re-state that "the ordinary appearance before a school board" peacefully is "not a crime."

DOJ's Olsen re-emphasizes that it is not a crime to attend a school board meeting peacefully.

@SenTedCruz 50) Durbin stresses that federal government should indeed get involved in school board meetings where violence is threatened - implies that central government should usurp state and local law enforcement.

@SenTedCruz 51) By concluding the J6 hearing with comments on local school boards, Durbin appears to be using J6 violence as a pretext to increase central government powers over state and local jurisdictions, and over citizens angry about school abuses against children.