We'd like to give Canadian County Sheriff Chris West a good old-fashioned TLO "Attaboy!"
As we know, the cowboy cosplayer loves nothing more than to generate attention and publicity for himself, and boy, did the New York Times help that cause by making him the central character in this article about all the law enforcement officials who participated in the failed attempt to overthrow American democracy on January 6th.
Via The NY Times:
For more than three decades, Sheriff Chris West of Canadian County, Okla., a large man whose uniform often includes a Stetson hat, a vest and a gold star badge, devoted his life to law enforcement.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he spent 28 years as a highway patrolman in Oklahoma, working his way up to captain before being elected sheriff of his native county in 2017. He earned the accolade “Oklahoma Sheriff of the Year” in 2019, and won a second term last fall, after running unopposed.
Then came Jan. 6.
Mr. West said he set his badge and his official role aside when he drove to Washington to support President Donald J. Trump. “I went as a citizen, as Chris West, the individual,” he told a news conference in El Reno, the county seat, after he returned.
By his own account, he marched on the Capitol waving a Trump flag and hollering slogans like “Stop the Steal!” and “We love Trump!” But he said that he did not participate in the storming of the Capitol, and he condemned the attack.
That's awesome. Like most conservatives who dislike facts and news reports that conflict with, or call into question, their warped idealogy and worldview, I'm sure Sheriff West isn't a fan of the NY Times and considers it fake news. That being said, you know he has to love this! It's great for his brand! I bet he's already emailed the article to all his fellow right-wing Sheriff buddies and all the folks who signed up to be part of his unregulated private militia:
"Hey look! The fake news NY Times even hates me! Obviously, this part of the agenda of Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and other lizard people who hate America and want to defund the police and murder babies. We must rise up and stop the steal! MAGA!
P.s. – Please donate to my re-election campaign here.
The Times also reported that Sheriff West is apparently being investigated for possible entering the Capitol during the attempted insurrection:
In Oklahoma, critics of Sheriff West said that he had for months adopted overtly political positions. That included refusing to put in effect the Oklahoma City mask mandate aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19 and forming a civilian “posse” to maintain order at public events, which his opponents considered a paramilitary organization. The riot came a few months later.
Sheriff David Mahoney, president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, said that he passed to the F.B.I. for investigation information he had received that Sheriff West had made a celebratory telephone call from inside the Capitol.
Sheriff West did not return calls seeking comment, and three main authors of the petition supporting him also declined to speak.
Once again, Sheriff West denies he entered the capitol complex, but I find that hard to believe. That would be like saying you drove all the way out to Disney World for Mickey Mouse's birthday, spent all day inside the park, but didn't ride any rides. If Chris West is telling the truth, he should resign immediately and let the people of Canadian County elect a new sheriff who will better represent their views, and not cower when presented with the chance to storm the capitol, execute our leaders and overthrow the American government.
