Jack Del Rio says Jan. 6 was only ‘dust up at the Capitol’
Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio talked to the media on Wednesday, and he had bizarre thoughts on the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Jack Del Rio either doesn’t understand what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, or doesn’t care to.
Either way, it’s becoming an increasingly big problem for the Washington Commanders. Del Rio, the Washington defensive coordinator, spoke to the media on Wednesday and essentially doubled down on previous tweets of his, stating protests in the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 murder were comparable to the assault on the U.S. Capitol building when citizens attacked the grounds in hopes of overturning Donald Trump’s defeat to Joe Biden in the presidential election.
Full quote from Jack Del Rio on protests and Jan. 6: "I can look at images on the TV, people's livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem. And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we're going to make that a major deal" https://t.co/uWvn8fgFfY
— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) June 8, 2022
Commanders DC Jack Del Rio on his recent tweet (https://t.co/odv7zr4BOn) at today's media session
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) June 8, 2022
"Businesses are being burned down, no problem... and then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down... and we're gonna make that a major deal."@nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/zH39iSqHM8
Jack Del Rio calls Jan. 6 nothing more than “dust up at the Capitol”
With this insane description, Del Rio isn’t acknowledging multiple deaths and the more than 140 police officers who sustained injuries, all while trying to equate the moment to another which is a separate issue unto itself.
The former head coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders, Del Rio finds himself in hot water. While he’s allowed any political stance he’d like, his specific language regarding one of the worst moments in American history — and one that happened in the same city which his organization calls home — is undeniably problematic.
Furthermore, Del Rio needs to keep the respect of his locker room, something which may also prove difficult. The murder of George Floyd touched off significant reactions from NFL players, including a video featuring many of the sport’s biggest names in a call for change in the country.