The tale of Georgia Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde refusing to shake the hand of a DC police officer who was beaten as he tried to protect the Capitol from a mob of domestic terrorist continues to get more disgusting.  And another Republican Congressman’s staff was concerned that a Black man entered their office while strapped with a gun… while wearing a police uniform.

With Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who is Black and in uniform because he had just gotten off duty, DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, was working his way around the Capitol Wednesday morning when he ran into the Georgia Republican.  Fanone reached he is hand out to shake hands, but Clyde recoiled.  When Fanone asked why Clyde wouldn’t shake his hand, Clyde responded, “I don’t know who you are,” according to the Washington Post.  Clyde then pulled out his cell phone to record the interaction, Fanone believed, perhaps to post the interaction and claim Fanone was aggressive.

Fanone, who was tased and suffered multiple minor heart attacks while being pummelled by the insurrectionists, has become a recognized face in the Capitol as he’s pushed Congress for additional police funding and for recognition for the officers who tried to hold back the mob of Trump supporters set on disrupting the Constitutional peaceful transfer of power exemplified by the certification of the Electoral College tallies by Congress on January 6th. 

Yesterday, Clyde was one of 21 Republican Congressmen who voted against giving the Congressional Gold Medal to all police officers who responded to the January 6th attack on the Capitol.  Today, Clyde voted against making Juneteenth a federal holiday.  Clyde also refuses to confirm whether or not he’s gotten the coronavirus vaccine and does not wear a facemask.

Fanone also stopped by the office of Montana Republican Congressman Matthew M. Rosendale, but Rosendale wasn’t there, so Fanone tried to set an appointment.  (Rosendale had also voted against the bill to honor the police with the Congressional Gold Medal, and he too voted against the Juneteenth holiday.)  Instead, Rosendale’s chief of staff James Braid “was super confrontational,” according to Fanone, demanding the badge numbers of the officers and demanding they leave the office.

“Two men came into our office, unannounced, one dressed in plainclothes and one in uniform including a firearm. Our chief politely asked if they were on duty and for their names as well as badge number, since we had individuals that had now entered our office, unannounced with a firearm and dressed as an officer,” Rosendale’s spokesman, Harry Fones, said.

Though the two officers didn’t give the staff their badge numbers, Fanone did give Rosendale’s staff his name and email address.  “Our office intends to follow up on that promise if they reach out,” Fones said in a non-committal manner.

Fanone’s accounts were told to Democratic California Congressman Eric Swalwell, who tweeted the initial version of the account with Clyde, and was later confirmed by Republican Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger.