Doggett says Texas State omitted anti-riot speech
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-austin, is criticizing a Texas State University-led organization for omitting a speech he made condemning the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, which was supposed to be included in a virtual Inauguration Day program.
Doggett told the American-statesman that he was asked to provide a pre-recorded speech that was supposed to be shown during an event called the 2021 Bobcat Community Inauguration Program, which was streamed through Zoom on Wednesday and hosted by the 2020 Texas State Elections Task Force.
The 2020 Texas State Elections Task Force, according to the group’s website, is chaired by Dr. Sherri Benn, the university’s assistant vice president for student affairs. The virtual event was sponsored by multiple organizations, including the task force, the university’s department of history and the department of political science.
According to the invitation for the event, which was emailed to students at the university, guest speakers were scheduled to give short speeches to highlight the history and tradition of the inauguration. The event also livestreamed the inauguration ceremony of President Joe Biden.
One of the scheduled talks at the event was titled “Historical perspectives on the inaugural tradition in light of the events that transpired at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC on January 6, 2021.” Dr. Mark Trahan, who teaches social work at the university, also participated in the virtual event.
Doggett, who had agreed to a request by event organizers to submit a three-to-four-minute video, said he was unpleasantly surprised when he learned that the task force omitted his speech, which — in addition to discussing previous peaceful transitions of power — condemned the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
“While I was on the actual inaugural platform, I was advised for the first time that Texas State would not permit students to hear my remarks,” Doggett said in a written statement. “Though I have no complaints about either Dr. Benn or Dr. Trahan, whose invitation was straightforward and who were not responsible for blocking my remarks, I am most disappointed that my speech was deemed so offensive that students at this event were not permitted to hear it.”
In his speech, Doggett criticized Republican colleagues who cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and highlighted quotes from former-senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell and U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-wyoming.
“The House, including ten Republicans — though, sadly, none from Texas — all voted for impeachment. We not only demanded accountability regarding Trump’s gross misconduct, but, more importantly, we declared to any future aspiring tyrant: Not in our country, we love it too much,” Doggett said during a part of his speech. “Our democracy has clearly survived. Now the question is whether we can begin to repair the damage, the severe damage, and overcome the heightened divisions that have occurred. No political party has a monopoly on truth.”
In a written statement, the university described the decision to omit Doggett’s speech from the program as “a mistake.”
“The request for the Congressman’s video and the decision to not include the video in the inauguration program was made deep in the university organization without following university policy. Regrettably, it was a mistake,” the university said in the statement.
Doggett said he felt that his voice was “suppressed” by the university organization’s decision.
“Universities should always allow the widest possible freedom of expression. Texas State has been wrongly accused of limiting expression in the past. But today, my own speech, as the Congressmember who represents the entire San Marcos campus, was suppressed,” Doggett said.