BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Two former U.S. Capitol police officers injured during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection — one of whom said he "almost died" that day — campaigned for President Joe Biden throughout Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, Sgt. Aquilino Gonell and Officer Harry Dunn shared their experience, earmarking the Capitol incident as an example of what they said another "violent" Donald Trump presidency would look like.
The two have volunteered to join the Biden campaign in three states so far — all key battleground states, including Pennsylvania.
"Then who are we, the police officers?"U.S. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell
"Pennsylvania is — no secret — a battleground state, it's a swing state," Dunn said in an interview with LehighValleyNews.com.
"And it's very important and necessary for [the Biden-Harris campaign] that we carry it."
That support comes after what Gonell described as a situation where they were seemingly forced to pick a side when Republicans appeared to support insurrectionists rather than the Capitol police.
It's an effort close to Gonell, who said he "nearly died."
"When we first began to speak, we were neutral," Gonell said. "We just want the American people to know and understand what we went through.
"Because the Republican side chose to side with the mob, had chosen to call them 'patriots,' 'hostages,' 'political prisoners' — the same thing that Donald Trump told himself and his followers — that those people are — then who are we, the police officers?
"Because at the end of the day, I defended your elected official, whether he was Republican, Democrat or Independent."
So Gonell and Dunn said they hope to sway "middle of the road" voters to vote Democrat in the upcoming election by sharing their stories.
'He's out there dangling pardons'
Just under two months ago, thousands of Trump supporters took to Schnecksville to brave the cold and see the presidential Republican nominee.
That support, to Dunn, is evidence their campaigning is needed in the area.
"Let's be clear, there are people that will never abandon Donald Trump, no matter what he says, no matter what he does," Dunn said.
"People have said that Democrats need to move on, forget about it, move on from January 6. But let's be clear: Republicans and Donald Trump is campaigning on it also."Harry Dunn, former Capitol Police Officer
"There are people here in Pennsylvania. But there are a lot of people that are looking for another reason to support Joe Biden.
"I'm telling people our experiences, and those are the people we're trying to reach. But we understand that there are people that are Trump loyalists no matter what."
Survey results from the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion showed Trump with a slim lead — just three points — on Biden in the upcoming general election.
In a telephone survey of 417 registered Pennsylvania voters between April 15 and 25, 44% said they would vote for Trump and 41% for Biden if they had to choose between the two.
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became a survey option among respondents, 18% said they would vote for him, leaving Biden and Trump at a tie.
A Navigator Research report also showed most Americans — four in five — are concerned about political violence, with 72% opposing the actions of those who stormed the Capitol building three years ago.
"People have said that Democrats need to move on, forget about it, move on from January 6," Dunn said.
"But let's be clear: Republicans and Donald Trump is campaigning on it also. He's out there dangling pardons for the people who attacked us that day.
"And so it's not just Democrats stuck on January 6."
