Journalists compare January 6th to 9/11 on 21st anniversary

As America Sunday marked 21 years since the 9/11 attacks that killed 3,000 innocents, media reporters used the day to relive January 6^th and President Trump, claiming that the two events are comparable.  

“21 years since terror attacks of 9/11,” tweeted journalist Sarah Reese Jones, co-founder of PoliticusUSA. “Then the terror attack of 1/6. Defending this country from attacks foreign and domestic should never be divisive." 

But when it turned out that her tweet was divisive, Reese Jones doubled down and appeared to suggest that, in fact, January 6^th is more heinous than 9/11. 

“For those saying I shouldn’t compare 1/6 to 9/11, you’re right,” she tweeted shortly after. “1/6 was incited by a sitting president against his own country because he was a sore loser. He didn’t even have an ideology beyond himself. I can’t think of a worse betrayal.” 

Tristan Snell, a commentator on CNN and MSNBC, shared a similar assessment. 

“September 11 was a terrorist attack. January 6 was a terrorist attack,” he wrote, adding, “Are they equivalent? No. But both were attacks on America. And we must seek justice for the latter as we did for the former.” 

GQ journalist and Conde Nast Legal Affairs Editor Luke Zaleski did not even bother to draw a connection. 

“On September 11 it’s important to remember the former president is a traitor who fomented a domestic terror attack on the US Capitol in order to stop the certification of his legitimate loss and in effect overthrow the country and rule of law. And he was never brought to justice.” 

Even a congressman joined in, outright equating the two events. 

“I will always remember how angry and sad I felt the day our country was  attacked,” tweeted Rep. Erick Allen (D-GA). “The lives lost and the families impacted demand we continue to hold those who attack our democracy accountable. This is true for 9/11/2001 just as it is for 1/6/2021. #NeverForget.” 

Author DC Petterson simply said January 6^th was worse. 

“Today is the commemoration of when Republicans turned an attack on America into a massive political talking point, and then ran with it for an entire decade. The difference between 9/11 and 1/6 is that al Qaeda never got close to ending American democracy. 1/6 was worse.” 

While not specifically mentioning January 6^th, White House Press Corps member Paul Brandus used 9/11 to slam Trump. 

“On this September 11, it is factual to note that Donald Trump: 1) bragged on 9/11 itself - hours after the attack - how tall his own buildings were 2) lied about seeing thousands of Muslims in New Jersey cheering (talk about fake news) 3) stiffed 9/11 charities.” 

CNN contributor Dean Obeidallah posted several tweets throughout the day using 9/11 to hate Trump. 

“Take a moment and imagine if after 9/11, Bin Laden were allowed to freely travel America, spewing lies in an effort to radicalize more people to commit violence in his name?!  Well that is EXACTLY what Donald Trump has been doing since Jan 6. Time to Arrest Trump!!” 

“There's no comparison between 9/11 and Jan 6 in terms of loss of life,” Obeidallah wrote in a separate tweet. “But Jan 6 was far more dangerous to our nation in that it was Americans who waged the attack after being radicalized by Donald Trump. And very dangerously, Trump still travels the nation radicalizing people.” 

In yet another tweet, Obeidallah said: “Only in America can Donald Trump attempt a coup and wage the Jan 6 terrorist attack and still walk free. Time to bring Trump to justice to protect our nation the same way we brought to justice all involved in 9/11 from Bin Laden on down. #NeverForget.” 

In another, posted the day before: “MAGA and Al Qaeda both waged deadly attacks against our nation to end our democracy. The difference is the leader of Al Qaeda has been brought to justice, while the leader of MAGA, Donald Trump, still travels our nation radicalizing people for his next terrorist attack.” 

Failed congressional candidate Lindy Li, who is now a political contributor to MSNBC and NBC News, appeared to suggest that the only difference between 9/11 and 1/6 is the perpetrator.

“On 9/11 Flight 93 passengers who crashed in Shanksville became the first non-Capitol Police officers to die defending the US Capitol," she wrote. "On 1/6 150 Capitol Police were assaulted by Trump thugs. 5 of them died. Both were terrorist attacks. Bin Laden spearheaded the 1st. Trump the 2nd.”