Former Oath Keeper: ‘We came very, very close to having a civil war kick off on Jan. 6’

Former Oath Keepers spokesperson Jason Van Tatenhove on Wednesday said American came “very, very close” to a civil war when pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results.

Van Tatenhove, who testified Tuesday to the House committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol, told CNN’s Brianna Keilar that far-right militias like the Oath Keepers and other rioters had a “military mindset” on Jan. 6.

“I don’t know how far they’ve gotten into the endgame, but what we saw on January 6th is certainly very much how it would look to start out,” he said. “We came very, very close to having a civil war kick off on January 6th.”

Van Tatenhove, 47, is a longtime Colorado resident, former tattoo shop owner and independent journalist who first met Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes in 2014 when the militia leader traveled to support Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who called for armed Americans to support him in a standoff with the U.S. government.

After the Bundy Ranch episode, Rhodes, who has been charged with seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6 attack, hired Van Tatenhove as the militia organization’s publicist and spokesperson, a position he held for a couple years before quitting after several disputes.

On Tuesday, Van Tatenhove provided a historical overview of the Oath Keepers to the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, including saying that the Oath Keepers are a violent militia that dreamed of an insurrection like that which unfolded on Jan. 6.

While the House panel is presenting evidence about the events surrounding Jan. 6, the Department of Justice will ultimately decide whether to criminally prosecute former President Trump for his role in the Capitol attack.

Van Tatenhove predicted Rhodes and other far-right leaders would see the Department of Justice’s declination to file charges as a “win” for their movements, which he said have yet to be held accountable for standoffs such as that at Bundy Ranch, which saw the federal government back down.

Van Tatenhove told CNN Rhodes has a “fantasy” of organizing a paramilitary organization. The former Oath Keepers spokesperson says he sees a direct line between Bundy Ranch and Jan. 6.

He added the American public was failing to see the full picture of the Jan. 6 attack and that citizens should start “having hard conversations” about what happened on that day.

“I really do fear for what might happen if Trump gets back in office,” he told CNN. “In a lot of ways, we’ve been mincing words. When it comes to the events of Jan. 6, that was not some sort of peaceful protest. That was a violent mob, and people died. We need to really start calling things out for what they are.”