Who is Garrett Miller? Texas man who called for AOC's assassination after storming Capitol gets charged
On Saturday, January 23, a Texas man, who had earlier been accused of taking part in the insurrection at the Capitol building in Washington DC, was also accused of calling for the assassination of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Garret Miller of Richardson, Texas, was arrested on Wednesday, January 20 and charged in federal court in DC with entering a restricted building; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; obstructing or impeding an official proceeding, and certain acts during civil disorder. Miller was reportedly held in the Dallas County jail before he was transferred to federal custody early on January 22.
In the aftermath of the insurrection, Ocasio-Cortez on January 6 wrote the word “Impeach,” on Twitter. “Assassinate AOC,” Miller responded, from his now-suspended Twitter handle. The FBI claimed in court documents that Miller had posted several videos and photos of himself on social media inside the Capitol during the insurrection. “[A]n individual on Facebook commented, ‘bro you got in?! Nice!’ to which Miller replied, ‘just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol,’” the 11-page criminal complaint stated. Referring to this, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on January 23, “On one hand you have to laugh, and on the other know that the reason they were this brazen is because they thought they were going to succeed.”
On one hand you have to laugh, and on the other know that the reason they were this brazen is because they thought they were going to succeed.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 23, 2021
The FBI also said it confirmed Miller’s identity through a subpoena of AT&T, which confirmed his Twitter account was associated with his cell phone number. The agency also confirmed his Facebook account was associated with the same phone number and Twitter account. When one of the commenters on his Facebook account tried to blame “paid infiltrators” for the riot, Miller allegedly replied, “Nah we stormed it.”
As per a report in Courthouse News, the FBI complaint contained several still photos from a security camera video showing Miller being “part of the crowd that pushed past the officers” to get into the Capitol. Miller also tweeted to Ocasio-Cortez that the rioters “acted with honor and we where [sic] not armed” and that they were “gentle” with police who he claimed “murdered a child.” Presumably, the last line is based on Miller’s belief that Ashli Babbitt, the 35-year-old woman who was shot while trying to climb through a broken window in the House chamber, was a 16-year-old girl.
As per the FBI, Miller also threatened to kill the police officer who killed Babbitt on social media, allegedly posting on January 10 that “we going to get a hold” of him and “hug his neck with a nice rope.” As per the court documents, “The individual with whom he was chatting responded, ‘Didn’t you say you were a Christian or some lie?’ to which Miller responded, ‘Justice … not murder … read the commandment … theres a difference.”
As per reports, Miller is represented by Clinton Broden with Broden & Mickelsen LLP in Dallas. He said Miller regrets and “takes responsibility for his actions” that were “a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump.” Broden also said that he does not believe there is evidence that Miller planned to carry out the threats.
Broden said in a statement, “He has the full support of his family and has always been a law-abiding citizen. His social media comments reflect very ill-considered political hyperbole in very divided times and will certainly not be repeated in the future. He looks forward to putting all of this behind him.” Miller is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Dallas on Monday, January 25. Federal charges have been filed against at least 115 people associated with the riot, including North Texans Larry Rendall Brock of Grapevine, Nolan Cooke of Savoy, Jennifer Leigh Ryan of Frisco, Guy Wesley Reffitt of Wylie, and Troy Anthony Smocks of Dallas.