US Senator quotes Welsh poet to ‘incite’ Trump Capitol Hill rioters

A US Senator has quoted a Welsh poet while he “incited” the Trump Capitol Hill rioters.

Senator Ted Cruz paraphrased the words of Dylan Thomas when told the angry mob “we will not go quietly into the night”, 24 hours before they stormed the US Congress in Washington DC.

The rioters attacked the seat of US legislative government in an attempt to overturn the result of the presidential election, where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump, on the basis of unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. Mr Biden has condemned the pro-Trump rioters as “insurrectionists”.

There have been calls for Senator Cruz to resign after he cast doubt on the election result and opposed its certification, and he has been accused of “inciting” the riot, which left several people dead.

Mr Cruz said: “I stand shoulder to shoulder with you, as we defend the United States of America, as we defend our constitution, as we defend our freedom, and we will not go quietly into the night.

“We will defend liberty into the future, and we are going to win.”

In response to a video that emerged of the speech by Ted Cruz, political activist Stephanie Kennedy, said: “24 hours before the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Ted Cruz incited the rioters. Seething and wild with seditious fury, he fired up Trump’s angry mob.

‘Craven’

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told the Senator: “Sen. Cruz, you must accept responsibility for how your craven, self-serving actions contributed to the deaths of four people yesterday. And how you fundraised off this riot.

“Your complete refusal to acknowledge any of the above harm, wrongdoing, or even misjudgement; & your lack of any self-reflection in how these acts contributed to yesterday’s chaos is alarming. It is unbecoming of any elected official and makes you unfit for the office you occupy.”

The poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” is the most famous work of Dylan Thomas, who was born in Swansea. He did several tours of the US and died prematurely in New York City.

It is believed the that the poem was written about his dying father. It says: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”.