Reuters Congressional reporter Patricia Zengerle complained on Wednesday that seeing a handful of people walking on the National Mall with American flags had given her “a wave of #Jan6 anxiety.”
“Yikes. Just saw this gang walking around the Capitol and had a wave of #Jan6 anxiety,” Zengerle tweeted, sharing a photo of eight people on the mall. Several carried American flags and two carried a banner that read, “1776 restoration movement.com.”
Yikes. Just saw this gang walking around the Capitol and had a wave of #Jan6 anxiety. pic.twitter.com/Qn3htfpq8M
— Patricia Zengerle (@ReutersZengerle) July 20, 2022
Critics quickly responded to Zengerle’s complaint, mocking her for comparing a handful of protesters on the mall with the January 6th riot on Capitol Hill.
“Because what could be more frightening than a handful of people waving American flags. The tweet i[s] from a Reuters reporter,” Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume mused.
“@Reuters reporter has hyperbolic reaction to grandma and grandpa carrying American flags. RELATED: Trust in the press is at an all-time low,” Monica Crowley added.
Shem Horne was apparently outraged, tweeting, “I can’t believe the squad got fake arrested yesterday but these 8 people with American Flags are allowed to roam free!”
“Journos literally talk about seeing a crowd of old people waving American flags as if they’re currently on the ground in Fallujah,” Greg Price said.
Tristan Justice admitted he thought it was parody at first: “I legit thought at first this was a conservative account making fun of the hyperventilating over Jan. 6.”
Newsmax host Benny Johnson took issue with Zengerle’s use of the word “gang.”
“Gang” https://t.co/uynT9vhdPe pic.twitter.com/rMfk9sLWTF
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 20, 2022
“OMG. She called it a gang,” Jack Posobiec agreed.
SHE CALLED IT A GANG pic.twitter.com/JYwUw8Qh0Z
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) July 20, 2022
Members of the 1776 Restoration Movement have been in Washington, D.C., over the past ten days — and they claim to be protesting government overreach and inflation.
Group leader John “X-Ray” told Fox News last week, “We’re frustrated with government overreach, with inflation that’s through the roof, with the stock market that’s in the toilet, with diesel prices at $6 or $7 a gallon. And we’re frustrated with the way in which our elected and appointed officials are conducting themselves consistently. We’re frustrated by the consistent and complete erosion of our freedoms here in the United States, and we’re here to stand up for a smaller government and to try to turn that government back towards the founder’s original intentions — the constitutional republic.”