Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump gathered on Saturday to make clear they are not ready to accept that President-elect Joe Biden won the election two days before the electoral college is set to make it official. The mostly maskless protesters included hundreds of members of Proud Boys, the far-right organization, that seemed intent on intimidating those around them while wearing helmets and bulletproof vests. Although the gathering was large, it was significantly smaller than the pro-Trump protest last month.
The Trump supporters gathered a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a case from Texas that sought to overturn the results of the election. So, of course, many of those who spoke at the rally expressed anger at the justices, as well as Fox News and Biden. They also made clear they are angry with the Republican Party. “In the first Million MAGA march we promised that if the GOP did not do everything in their power to keep Trump in office, then we would destroy the GOP,” conservative commentator Nick Fuentes said from a megaphone while standing on a stage. “As we gather here in Washington, D.C. for a second Million MAGA March, we’re done making promises. It has to happen now. We are going to destroy the GOP.” The crowd loudly cheered and started chanting: “Destroy the GOP! Destroy the GOP!”
In a move that is likely to make many Republican leaders nervous, Fuentes went on to blast the Georgia Senate candidates who will be competing in a January runoff that will be key for control of the Senate. “The GOP wants us to hold the line and vote for ‘RINOs’ like Davie Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia Senate runoffs,” Fuentes said. That led to loud boos from the crowd. Republican leaders have been worrying for weeks that all the baseless talk of fraud would lead many Trump supporters in Georgia to sit out the Jan. 5 elections in which Sen. David Perdue is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler is facing off against Rev. Raphael Warnock.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was among the speakers at the rally as he delivered his first public remarks since Trump pardoned him last month. Flynn encouraged Trump supporters to keep the hope alive that they’d be able to overturn the election results. “Don’t get bent out of shape,” Flynn said. “There are still avenues … We’re fighting with faith, and we’re fighting with courage.” At one point Trump appeared to pass over the protesters in the Marine One helicopter three times. “That’s pretty cool,” Flynn said. “Imagine being able to jump in a helicopter and go for a joyride around Washington, D.C. I love it. I love the fact that he does that.”
