Denver Riggleman Tweets, ‘I Might Need To Re-Engage’

In 2020 Virginia’s 5th Congressional District held a bizarre drive-thru convention that was run by political allies of Bob Good and swept out Congressman Denver Riggleman (Bearing Drift had coverage here, here, here, here, and here).

Since then the former congressman has actually spoken out loud what other Republicans can only whisper in back rooms, afraid of their constituents and of losing elections. Riggleman is working with the January 6 Commission to get to the bottom of what happened leading up to and during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He spoke out against QAnon conspiracies before leaving congress, and has batted away other loony plots on the right side of the political aisle.

Or, as Bearing Drift content partner Norman Leahy wrote after Denver’s loss, “… Riggleman has been throwing verbal elbows, and not only at the local party apparatchiks he believes engineered his defeat. He’s been swinging at the bizarre QAnon conspiracy junkies making their way to Congress. Riggleman has called them enemies to intelligence and common sense and their beliefs ‘the mental gonorrhea of conspiracy theories.’ ”

Denver, who is genial, intelligent, and witty though tough, endures no fools, and has little patience for the fringes of either political party, has not changed his tune.

After tweeting Saturday about Bob Good’s encounter with a high school government class, he added, “I might need to re-engage.”

At the school gathering, Good – who is okay with setting up a drive-thru convention at his church in the far southern end of the 5th Congressional District and allegedly okay with the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol – encouraged high school students to defy a Virginia statewide mask mandate for schools, as reported in Rolling Stone and Rappahannock News via Charlie Sykes at The Bulwark:

What could have been a simple high school government lecture on civic duty and participation from a local congressman instead became a Covid-19 misinformation fest worthy of a primetime slot on Fox News.

Congressman Bob Good (R-Va.) encouraged a group of high school students to defy a statewide school mask mandate, and he spread lies about vaccines and how the virus spreads, the Rappahannock News reported.

Could someone get a message to Good that this global pandemic has killed almost three-quarters of a million Americans? And that most who are now infected and dying are anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers?

In typical Denver speak, he commented on Twitter:

.@RepBobGood is the best argument for open primaries. This wanna-be Marjorie Taylor Greene, Q-adherent, anti-police, anti-veteran, anti-student, anti-IQ empty suit, is an embarrassment to Virginia’s 5th CD.

I might need to re-engage. https://t.co/vTl2kE2n1S

— Denver Riggleman (@RepRiggleman) October 16, 2021

On Sunday he added this:

When Stupid is a super power

The reason ?@RepBobGood? spouts “They can’t stop everyone” to students is that he’s believes the pandemic is phony— backed by “globalists” & the deep state

He’s a Stop the Steal apostle too. A Q apostle as the #VA05 Rep https://t.co/5bqGR4Gd34

— Denver Riggleman (@RepRiggleman) October 17, 2021

Reporter Julia Shanahan at the Rappahannock News added, “The event on Thursday was originally supposed to take place in the high school auditorium, but after Good refused to wear a mask, administrators moved it outdoors to the football stadium.”

She continued:

“Good’s speech to the students included misinformation about masks and vaccines, saying that President Joe Biden and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, both Democrats, are ‘lying to us about the effectiveness of masks.’ Good said there is no scientific evidence that proves the efficacy of masks, and that COVID-19 vaccines pose more of a health risk to teenagers than the virus itself. There is a consensus among the scientific community that universal masking does slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Good also talked about other social issues during his talk that had to be held outside as students sat in the bleachers because their congressman wouldn’t wear a mask inside the building.

We need honest talk in these days of dodging, weaving, and avoiding answering questions, and the truth. Denver Riggleman has been engaged but if he means to re-engage involving public office again, we’re listening….

Update: Dwayne Yancey has a very good read on this topic over at Cardinal News.