Washington Commanders Coach: It Was Irresponsible to Call Jan. 6 Riot a ‘Dust-Up’

Jack Del Rio, the 59-year-old defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, has come under fire for telling reporters that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a mere “dust-up” in comparison to Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020. “I can look at images on the TV [of the Floyd protests]—people’s livelihoods are being destroyed. Businesses are being burned down. No problem,” he said. “And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal. I just think it’s kind of two standards, and if we apply the same standard and we’re going to be reasonable with each other, let’s have a discussion.” Hours later, Del Rio issued a statement on Twitter expressing his regret for downplaying the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. “Referencing that situation as a dust-up was irresponsible and negligent and I am sorry,” he said. But the coach added he still stands by his “comments condemning violence in communities across the county. I say that while also expressing my support as an American citizen for peaceful protest in our country.”