Centre County Republican leaders condemn Capitol riots but stay silent on Trump blame
While Centre County Republican leaders were quick to denounce the violence at the U.S. Capitol last week, they have stayed quiet about President Donald Trump and his role in the deadly riot.
What ended in an insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6 began with a “Save America” rally where thousands of Trump supporters — including those from the Centre County Republican Party — gathered in Washington. Trump, joined by longtime supporters, encouraged attendees to “stop the steal” and march down Pennsylvania Avenue as Congress met to certify the Electoral College results. The president’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, demanded “trial by combat.”
Trump denounced violence Tuesday morning but denied having any responsibility for encouraging the mob, claiming experts who analyzed his remarks said they were “appropriate.”
Collectively, the board of commissioners condemned last week’s riot, but Republican Commissioner Steve Dershem is the only member who has not held the president responsible for inciting violence.
When asked if he holds Trump responsible for the riot, Dershem declined to answer and said history will be the judge.
“I’m going to continue loving my family and friends and to protect the things that we value here in Centre County,” he added during Tuesday’s board meeting.
Commissioner Michael Pipe and Commissioner Mark Higgins, both Democrats, condemned Trump for his role and hateful rhetoric and put blame on Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, and House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, for casting doubt on the election.
In a press conference on Monday, Pipe described the lawmakers as being “stuck” in their hesitancy to condemn the president.
“Our country is on fire,” Higgins said Tuesday. “Some of us — Vice President Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Pat Toomey and many others — are trying to put the fire out.”
Corman and Benninghoff are “throwing gasoline on the flames” by alleging Pennsylvania’s election was anything but free and fair, Higgins said.
Though the state Republicans have said they have no knowledge of voter fraud, they have questioned how the democratic process was carried out in Pennsylvania. Both have accused Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of State Katy Boockvar of illegally changing election code and have supported efforts to conduct a formal review of the 2020 general election and its integrity.
In a letter signed by Benninghoff, state Republicans asked the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation to reject the state’s electors. A letter leaked by Trump revealed that Corman signed a letter asking that the electoral vote certification be delayed.
Pipe and Higgins have said the steps taken by Pennsylvania GOP leaders contributed to the hatred and violence by furthering false claims that the presidential election was stolen. Pipe demanded Corman and Benninghoff acknowledge the role they played in the events leading up to the riot, but the state lawmakers have maintained their position — saying that their actions were within their legal right and aimed to review the integrity of the election.
Dershem admitted he shared similar election concerns with Corman and Benninghoff, but said locally, the election was conducted fairly. He added that “the numbers add up.”
Corman and Benninghoff have acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election, but neither have openly condemned Trump or held him responsible for inciting violence.
“I believe his comments were not helpful, and that whole rally turned into something that (it) shouldn’t have,” Corman told the CDT on Monday. “I don’t think the president’s comments were appropriate. I don’t think that his first comments after the press conference were appropriate either. You know, when the Capitol is being under siege, I would have expected the president to have a much stronger response.”
When asked if Benninghoff condemns Trump for his role in the riot, House Republican Caucus spokesman Jason Gottesman provided a written statement Benninghoff released last week, which said: “Any act of violence or destruction is a crime and should be treated as such.”
“Peaceful transitions of power are something our country has responsibly proceeded with since our founding and should serve as an inspiration to the rest of the world,” Benninghoff wrote in the statement. “An objection to the electoral process is within the rights of members of Congress and has been exercised by members from both sides of the aisle at different times in our nation’s history. However, that process leads to debate and dialogue, not violence and mayhem.”
State Rep. Rich Irvin, R-Spruce Creek, and Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-McElhattan, have not released statements on the riot or voiced opposition to Trump. Neither immediately responded to a request for comment.
U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Kreamer, and U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard, were among the 147 Republicans — including eight Pennsylvanians — who voted last week to overturn results of the presidential election.
Though they both condemned violence last week, neither have acknowledged Trump as being responsible for the mob. Representatives for Thompson and Keller did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
