Did Mike Lee call Capitol riot mulligan? Senator says Trump deserves one, Internet asks ‘are you f’ing kidding’
Just hours before the voting on the former president's impeachment trial, the Republican Senator of Utah said something that shocked people. He compared the Capitol riots that took the lives of civilians and officers alike and injured many to a "mulligan". A mulligan is a reference to the golf term which means "do-over" indicating that Trump should get a chance for a do-over. The golfer is allowed an extra stroke after a poor shot on the course.
He spoke at the 'America's Newsroom' program on Fox News, and said, "Everyone makes mistakes." He further added, "Everyone's entitled to a mulligan once in a while." Lee said this right after the show aired clips of Democratic politicians' speeches that Republicans claimed were as inciteful or more so than the one that Trump had made on January 6. This is what has resulted in heavy backlash with many wanting to vote Lee out.
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The Executive Director of The Lincoln Project tweeted, "Five people died. 139 cops were injured. Our Capitol was desecrated. A mulligan? Are you f’ing kidding? We give people passes for sedition and murder? Law and order my a**," in response to Vox journalist Aaron Rupar posting a clip of the interview with the caption, "beyond parody". A user asked, "Is Mike Lee calling a violent Insurrection against our government equates to the use of a golf mulligan?"
Is Mike Lee calling a violent Insurrection against our government equates to the use of a golf mulligan?
— Mar - democracy prevailed!🇺🇸 (@thelittlelotus) February 9, 2021
Columnist Wajahat Ali also tweeted, "Look, Osama had tremendous economic anxiety. He was just angry about the political situation. I bet he's really sorry for what he did. We shouldn't anger him by attacking him. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone’s entitled to a mulligan once in a while. - Did Mike Lee say that?"
Look, Osama had tremendous economic anxiety. He was just angry about the political situation. I bet he's really sorry for what he did. We shouldn't anger him by attacking him. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone’s entitled to a mulligan once in a while.
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) February 9, 2021
- Did Mike Lee say that?
Rupar had explained further and tweeted, "It should be noted that Lee's "mulligan" line came after a clip of Cory Booker saying people should "get up in the face" of Trump-supporting congresspeople. But the idea is to bothsides Trump's encouragement of insurrection. Here's the full context." A Twitter user then responded, "This should be in the next ad against Mike Lee: 'everyone should be allowed a mulligan'” along with a picture of one of the Capitol officers who had died after the riots.
This should be in the next ad against Mike Lee:
— Honest Abe REDUX (@ReduxStl) February 9, 2021
“ everyone should be allowed a mulligan” pic.twitter.com/FvKPM0b9IA
In an interview with One America News Network (OAN), Lee also said that the impeachment uses “words like unmistakably and directly responsible” to describe Trump’s role in inciting the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol that killed five people, so “it sets up a really high bar” of proof. Lee, who also happens to be a lawyer, further added, "If you were in a court of law, you’d essentially be arguing direct causation."
He claimed that the House-passed articles of impeachment against Trump was irresponsible and assumed facts not in evidence. He explained, "There are a lot of intervening steps between the moment someone makes an argument and someone gives a speech … [and] when other people engage in criminal activity," and added, "I don’t think there’s any courtroom in America where you could connect a set of words spoken with a criminal act unless there was a lot of direction given in those words."