Mother of injured Capitol officer has a message for Trump: 'Where is your courage?'

The mother of a Capitol police officer who was badly injured during the attack on the Capitol on January 6 appeared on CNN Tonight With Don Lemon monday where she responded to former President Donald Trump and his congressional allies spreading misinformation about the events of that day. Terry Fanone’s son, Michael, was pulled into the crowd by the violent mob where he was tased multiple times and beaten, suffering a heart attack and a concussion. Officer Fanone is still dealing with a traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. But in an interview with Fox News last week, Trump claimed that the rioters posed “zero threat,” and that they were “hugging and kissing the police.”

Asked if there was anything she’d like to say to Trump or others who continue to push misinformation about the day her son could have lost his life, Fanone simply answered, “Where’s your courage?”

But Fanone’s biggest problem isn’t with Trump, it’s with the members of Congress who were there that day, yet still try to pretend it was something different than what it was.

“For me to say anything to Trump would be—it wouldn’t matter because he just can’t hear. It’s all the other people that are so complicit in this. That’s who I would speak to,” Fanone said. “How dare you? How dare you? How dare you take advantage of these people who were defending and fighting for their lives that day, to save these people, preserve democracy, civility, to restore the Capitol to what it’s supposed to be? Where are you? With all of these officers stood with you, why don’t you stand with them?”

Video Transcript

DON LEMON: If you could speak directly to him and his supporters who are pushing these lies about the rioters, what would you say to them?

TERRY FANONE: Where's your courage? Where is your courage?

KYLIE MAR: Terry Fanone, mother of Capitol police officer Michael Fanone, who was badly injured in the January 6th attack on the Capitol, appeared on "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon" Monday, where she responded to former President Trump defending the insurrectionists on Fox News last week. But it's not Trump who Terry would like to speak to.

TERRY FANONE: For me to say anything to Trump would be-- it wouldn't matter, because he just can't hear. It's all the other people that are so complicit in this. That's who I would speak to is that, how dare you.

KYLIE MAR: Rather than Trump, Terry had a question for the many Republicans who continue to push falsehoods about the events of January 6th and don't appear to be interested in finding out exactly what happened.

TERRY FANONE: How dare you take advantage of these people who were defending, fighting for their lives that day to save these people. Preserve, you know, democracy, civility.

KYLIE MAR: And Terry spoke about the effect of the actions of some members of Congress is having on Capitol police officers.

TERRY FANONE: For our family and for each and every police officer that I know that Michael's in touch with, constantly, it's outrageous. It's so dehumanizing. It's so devaluing. And it's outrageous.