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Jul 28, 2021 - Politics & Policy

D.C. officer reveals threatening voicemail received during Jan. 6 testimony

Shawna Chen

D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone received a profanity-laced voicemail from a Trump supporter who directed violent threats at him as he testified before the Jan. 6 select committee on Monday.

Details: In the voicemail, which aired on CNN without censorship at Fanone's request, a person accuses the officer of lying about the insurrection before using derogatory language to lambast him.

  • "You want an Emmy? An Oscar? What are you trying to go for here?" said the caller.
  • "I wish they would have killed all you scumbags, 'cause you people are scum. They stole the election from Trump and you know that, you scumbag. And f------ too bad they didn't beat the s--- out of you more."

What he's saying: "This is what happens to people that tell the truth in Trump's America," Fanone told CNN after it aired. "It's not the first time that people have expressed similar opinions to me."

  • "There is an element in this country that believes that."

Driving the news: Four police officers who defended the Capitol that day gave emotional testimonies about the trauma they suffered. Fanone said he was "grabbed, beaten, tased, all while being called a traitor to my country."

  • The officer suffered a heart attack after the assault.

The big picture: Officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 have demanded accountability from GOP lawmakers who downplay the breach.

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