The deadly attack on Congress at the Capitol is raising questions about the lapse in security over what was expected to be one of the most well-protected buildings in the nation. Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio - 17th District) called law enforcement's response to the mayhem a "complete embarrassment."
"We didn't have enough backup there, which, given Trump's rhetoric for the last four years, [and for] the last four, five weeks since the election precisely identifying January 6 as a date that, 'It's going to be wild,' he said, 'We need to go there,' and then whipping everybody up yesterday morning into a frenzy and then sending them down to the Capitol," Ryan told Cheddar. "All of those should have been indicators that we have been planning for the worst-case scenario."
Going forward, the congressman said, there needs to be a reassessment of security protocols at the Capitol.
Following a summer of massive demonstrations protesting the police killings of unarmed Black Americans that came bundled with heavily secured streets and swarms of law enforcement, obvious comparisons were being drawn to the chaos that ensued in Washington, DC.
"We also do have to recognize that some of these situations with Black Lives Matter were handled much more differently. The approach was much more aggressive versus the Trump mob," Ryan said.
"I don't think there's any question there's a lot more aggressive behavior around people of color but at the same time, there was an escalation, a slow escalation for what happened this summer versus something immediate here. But that, to me, that doesn't excuse anybody."
While the Ohio representative said he supported the removal of the House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, who resigned Thursday, and Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund for their handling of the breach, Ryan said the president also has to be held accountable for directing his supporters to incite violence and chaos. In fact, Ryan said the sentiment among most Democrats — and some Republicans — is growing.
As America waits for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to be officially installed as president and vice president on January 20, the need to neutralize the president's power is more evident than ever following yesterday's events, according to Ryan.
"The next two weeks leading up to the inauguration will be very, very difficult, I think, if we allow him to stay there," he added.
Later today House Republicans will grill Snap, Tiktok and Youtube on how their products affect the mental health of teenagers. It comes after a report revealed that Facebook's photo sharing platform, Instagram, can be harmful to teen's mental health. Rishi Bharwani, Director of Partnerships and Policy, Accountable Tech joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
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Marjorie Mesidor, Esq., Partner, Phillips and Associates, PLLC and Dr. Anthony Santela, professor of health administration and university covid coordinator at the University of New Haven join J.D. Durkin and None Of The Above to talk about the expected fallout from New York City's vaccine mandate.
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Carlo and Baker cover the big races to watch on this off-cycle Election Day, the concrete pledges starting to come out of COP26, Jeffrey Epstein keeps causing CEOs to lose their jobs, and Ryan Murphy's TV hit that wasn't.
The Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq begin November by not only ending Monday's session higher but with a record close as well. Melissa Armo, Founder and Owner of The Stock Swoosh, has her eye on major economic storylines and joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what role the news could play on Wall Street.
The UN climate change conference kicked off on Sunday with about 120 world leaders and delegates gathering in Glasgow, Scotland this week, as experts continue to warn about the harms of heightened emissions and the effects on climate change. The topic of ESG investing is expected to be a top priority at the summit. Jefferies global head of ESG and sustainability research Aniket Shah joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Gifted and talented education programs in schools throughout the United States are falling under greater scrutiny as the race and class divide in the programs remain wide. Marcia Gentry, a professor of educational studies and the director of the Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute at Purdue University, joined Cheddar to weigh in on if advanced tracking for students can also be equitable for lower income students and students of color.
The Supreme Court is now weighing in on one of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws. The Texas law, which was enacted on September 1, bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. In addition, it allows any private citizen to sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion. Jimmy Hoover, Supreme Court Editor-At-Large at Law360, joined Cheddar News to discuss more.
