The inquiry into the Capitol Hill riots on January 6 continues. The latest stark revelation was the release of footage of congressional leaders from both parties trying to stop the violence that was occurring outside, as well as texts from figures such as Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Donald Trump Jnr — all realising exactly what they’d helped unleash seemingly for the first time — desperately trying to jam the toothpaste back into the tube.
All this in the face of Donald Trump’s “chilling, studied passivity” towards the carnage at the US Capitol.
But it’s also notable for a God-tier example of one of Crikey’s great preoccupations: tone-deaf police social media. Minutes after the committee aired footage of rioters violently attacking the police surrounding the building, the US Capitol Police decided they’d capitalise on the attention with a little recruitment drive:
Of all the misconceptions there could be about a police force that *very famously* found itself having to protect a seat of government from an armed insurrection, that it’s “just like any other job” probably isn’t high on the list.
But, hey, look at that lovely little doggie! Frankly, our camera-stomping, baby-talking police social media have got nothing on this.
