A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things.

Bye!

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) announced that he won’t seek another term in 2022, marking the first departure from Congress among the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for sparking the Jan. 6 insurrection.

• Gonzales cited the “toxic dynamics” of his party as a “significant factor” in his decision.
• Gonzales called Trump “a cancer for the country” in an interview with the New York Times on the day of his announcement.
• The GOP lawmaker insisted to the Times that he wasn’t leaving because of the threats he’s received in wake of his impeachment vote, but he also noted he was receiving messages like, “We’re coming to your house.”
• Gonzalez also blasted his colleagues for fueling Trump’s lie about the 2020 election, calling their enablement “horribly irresponsible and destructive for the country.”
• Gonzalez was facing a primary challenge from Trump-endorsed formed White House aide Max Miller.

Trump Sheds Tears For Insurrectionists

The ex-president said that “Our hearts and minds” are with “the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest” and cried “JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!” in a statement released by his Save America PAC.

• And yet Trump didn’t actually encourage anyone to attend Saturday’s D.C. rally in honor of the people who violently attacked the Capitol: The former president thinks the rally is a setup that the media will use to attack him, according to the New York Times.
• Trump isn’t alone in thinking the “Justice for J6” rally is a trap of some kind. Roger Stone, who’s being sued for his role in the Capitol insurrection, claimed without evidence that people who show up at the event “will all be working for the government,” and encouraged Trump supporters to “​​stay away” from D.C. that day.
• And as we reported earlier this week, far-right groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are similarly paranoid that undercover cops will be at the rally.

An Arizona Senate Candidate Donated To The Insurrectionist Cheerleading Rally Organizer

Jim Lamon, a Republican aiming for Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-AZ) seat in the 2022 midterms, gave a “generous contribution” to Look Ahead America, the pro-Trump group that organized the upcoming “Justice for J6” rally in D.C. this Saturday.

• Lamon donated to Look Ahead America’s “intensive voter registration and community organizing effort” in Arizona, the group announced in April.
• Lamon has peddled Trump’s fake 2020 election fraud narrative, falsely claiming in July that there were “anomalies” in the election “that deserve to be fully explored.”

Some Casual Great Replacement Theory From A GOP Leader

House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is putting out ads accusing President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers of trying to carry out a “permanent election insurrection” by trying to make it easier for immigrants to become citizens.

• That’s become a racist talking point for Fox News as well by the likes of Tucker Carlson and Jesse Watters.

Tucker Carlson going full great replacement: If the proposed relief bill (which includes protections for undocumented people) passes "Democrats will win every presidential election for the rest of your life, the rest of your children's lives and that's the point of this." pic.twitter.com/OX7EuyW25j

— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) May 13, 2020

The great replacement theory isn't limited to Tucker Carlson, it's permeated Fox as a whole. Here's Jesse Watters claiming "The plan is to turn Texas blue and just to pay back donors with cheap labor. And after a few generations, you get more Democrat voters." pic.twitter.com/9YMUUp5Mcy

— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) May 14, 2021

Montana Republican Fears The ‘Flooding’ Of An Entire 75 Refugees In His State

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) sounded the alarm over the 75 Afghan refugees who had been placed in Montana following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

• Rosendale ranted that the Biden administration was “flooding our communities with unvetted refugees.”

Biden Strikes Back At GOP Governors’ Attacks On His Vaccine Mandate

The President called out Republicans, especially Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and  Greg Abbott of Texas, for fighting his sweeping vaccine requirements and other COVID-19 measures, slamming their pushback as “the worst kind of politics.”

• “And I refuse to give in to it,” he declared.

President Biden on Republican governors comparing his pro-vaccine policies to tyranny: "This is the worst kind of politics, because it's putting the lives of citizens of their states — especially children — at risk. And I refuse to give in to it." pic.twitter.com/ZpoGFvS04S

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 16, 2021

An FDA Panel Is Meeting To Discuss A Booster Shot For COVID-19 Vaccine

An independent advisory board to the Food and Drug Administration will look at potentially approving booster shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 and over.

A Very Normal State Of Affairs In The US Of A

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety unveiled a handy new tool to help you ensure that the cops won’t shoot you after pulling you over:

Our troopers, along with several law enforcement agencies across the state, want to make it easier for drivers to store the information and for law enforcement to see when motorists are reaching for documents. pic.twitter.com/ZiCF4Ifzac

— MnDPS_DPS (@MnDPS_DPS) September 16, 2021

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