U.S. Can 'Embrace Truth' Of 2020 Election Or Be 'Destroyed By Lies,' Gov. Hogan Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was among the chorus of voices on Thursday weighing in on the events of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, a year after rioters and protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol Complex.
During an interview Thursday on CBS Mornings, Gov. Hogan said the nation is more divided than ever before. He said in order to move forward, people have to put their party affiliations aside and be willing to stand up and tell the truth.
"It's something that is going to take a long time for us to overcome and, look, we can either, you know, embrace the truth of what happened with the election or what happened on January 6, or we could be destroyed by lies," the governor said.
This time last year, a mob marched on the Capitol with some people forcing their way inside the building, spurred by remarks from then-President Donald Trump, who claimed without proof that the 2020 election had been stolen from him.
Nine people who were present at the Capitol died during or after the riot. Hundreds of people have been charged criminally as a result, 170 of whom have pleaded guilty and 70 others who have been sentenced, the Associated Press reports.
Hogan expressed astonishment about that so many people have been misled about the integrity of the presidential election, saying they fell victim to what he described as an "incredible misinformation, disinformation campaign."
Those who do speak up face "tremendous retribution," the governor said, whether that means social media threats or political consequences.
"There are few Republican leaders now in Congress that are standing up and telling the truth and explaining what happened, and they are viciously attacked," Hogan said. "They are attacked on Twitter, they are being threatened, and they are being primaried, and the former president is endorsing people to run against them."
While Hogan expressed concerns about the state of the Republican party, he said there is plenty of blame to go around.
"It's not just my party; it's not the only one to blame," Hogan said. "I know Joe Biden said he was going to bring the country together, but we're more divided than ever, and the extremes of both parties are tearing the country apart."
He said it's vital that the nation gets away from an increasingly toxic political landscape and focuses instead on the future.
"We've got to get my party back on track and get people to come up with a positive, hopeful vision for America, rather than, you know, focusing on, you know, conspiracy theories about what happened in 2020."
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.