Tom Suozzi confronts pardoned Jan. 6 protesters on 5th anniversary of Capitol riot

WASHINGTON — Rep. Tom Suozzi on Tuesday confronted a group of pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, demonstrators and their allies outside the U.S. Capitol, causing an exchange of words and the intervention of police.

Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) told Newsday afterward he had intended to make his way over to the group on what was the fifth anniversary of the storming of the Capitol, in which supporters of President Donald Trump flooded the building trying to keep him in office after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

"This [the Capitol insurrection] was a very serious event in the history of our country and pretty serious to me personally having been there that day," Suozzi said. "And I couldn’t believe that these people who were convicted of crimes had the gall to return to the scene of the crimes."

Members of the group of pardoned protesters waved American flags and held signs saying such things as, "Thanks for our pardons!" The ensuing verbal volleys were witnessed by reporters and others and captured widely on video.

Suozzi was met by curses, insults and historical revisionism that included among milder suggestions that he was a "fraud" and a "traitor." One protester asked him, "How do feel [with] the power of the American people surrounding you. We the people?"

Suozzi, growing irritated, ultimately responded with questions of his own, evoking the brazen attacks on law enforcement protecting him and others inside the Capitol five years ago.

"How do you feel about beating up police officers? How do you feel about tasing police officers? How do you feel about committing crimes?" he said.

Suozzi was eventually escorted from the crowd by multiple Capitol police officers on both sides of him and instructed the heckling demonstrators to "settle down!"

In the later interview, Suozzi said he had no regrets about approaching the group.

Suozzi on Tuesday also posted video on X he took of himself five years ago describing events from inside the besieged House chamber, and then as he and other lawmakers were escorted from to shelter.

In another social media post, he wrote: "The one thing I disagree with President Trump the most, was the pardoning of the January 6th criminals."