Garret Miller apologizes to Ocasio-Cortez for threatening her assassination
Garret Miller, charged with invading the Capitol and threatening Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), said Monday that he was just following then-President Donald Trump’s orders when he joined the terrorists who attacked the Capitol Building on Jan. 6.
Miller, 34, had written “Assassinate AOC” in a Twitter post, and also threatened a Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a fellow terrorist, saying he planned to “hug his neck with a nice rope.” After his arrest, as he was being ordered detained without bail pending trial, Garret apologized to Ocasio-Cortez and indicated he would be willing to testify in court or to Congress about the terrorist assault.
Bail was denied because the judge found that Miller was both a danger to the community and a flight risk.
MIller is one of dozens of people charged with participating in the terrorist attack, which began shortly after Trump urged supporters to pressure Congress to reject the election of Joe Biden as president.
“We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about. And to use a favorite term that all of you people really came up with, we will stop the steal. …
“You will have an illegitimate president. That is what you will have, and we can’t let that happen. These are the facts that you won’t hear from the fake news media. It’s all part of the suppression effort. They don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to talk about it. …
“We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
According to Miller’s lawyer, Miller said he had been motivated by Trump’s false claims that he had been cheated out of reelection by voter fraud.
“I was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, because I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief. His statements also had me believing the election was stolen from him,” Miller said.
“Nevertheless, I fully recognize Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and that the election is over. Donald Trump is no longer president and I would not have any reason to continue to follow his lead.
“While I never intended to harm Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez nor harm any members of the Capitol police force, I recognize that my social media posts were completely inappropriate. They were made at a time when Donald Trump had me believing that an American election was stolen,” he said.
Miller said: “I want to publicly apologize to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and the Capitol police officers. I have always supported law enforcement and I am ashamed by my comments.”
He also said in the statement that he was not armed when he entered the Capitol and stayed in its rotunda.
“[W]hat Donald Trump had been saying about the election really got to me and I felt I had to support him. Still, I recognize that I am solely responsible for my actions and that there are no excuses for what I did,” he added.
“I come from a good and supportive family. My parents and brothers do not deserve the pain I have caused them. I accept full responsibility for my actions and I am prepared to testify at any trial or Congressional proceeding,” Miller said.
Miller is charged in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., with: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted buildings or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; obstructing or impeding any official proceeding; certain acts during civil disorder, and threats in interstate commerce.
