People often ask me why I do what I do.
Why go undercover to expose extremist Republicans like SenatorRon Johnson, Trump coup attorneyJohn Eastman, orSupreme CourtJusticeSamuel Alito?
Cant you just ask them for an interview?
Photo by Sye Williams. Courtesy of Lauren Windsor
As I made my way west on Chambers Street, I soon discovered its source.
A plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
What a terrible accident!
Pilots cant fly anywhere close enough for that to be an accident.
The scene was surreal, to be sure, but I kept on task.
I made it to the street entrance of campus before turning to stare back at the towers in astonishment.
There was no more speculation: We were under attack.
There was also no cell service, nor transportation.
A woman screamed, Oh my God!
Theyre falling out of the building!
We watched a man drop, tie flapping in the wind.
A retired firefighter spoke up, Theyre not falling.
Look at the spacing its organized.
At 20-years-old, this was devastating.
Its more than 20 years later, and Im crying as I key in this.
The obligation to bear witness to history planted the seed for what would become my political reporting career.
Joe Biden had clearly won the election, butDonald Trumpwas contesting the vote in battleground states across the country.
The story went nuclear when Trumpthanked me via tweet, calling Perdue a patriot.
This led to Senators Josh Hawley andTed Cruzlaunching their own objections to the Electoral College count.
Everywhere I went in Georgia, Republican politicians were telling voters to keep fighting for Trump.
It seemed pretty clear to me that something big was brewing.
I was supposed to return to Washington, but I decided to relax instead.
No more hustling for stories.
I flipped on the TV to watch the news.
There was smoke billowing from the U.S. Capitol, where insurrectionists were attempting to block the transfer of power.
The scene was horrifying and surreal, but all too familiar.
When I returned, fences had been erected around Capitol Hill, and would remain there for months.
Though they failed, I could see that they were not finished.
Ted Cruztold mehe led the fight in the Senate.
Some answered contrary to my expectations.
Vice PresidentMike Pencesaidwe do not want federal bureaucrats deciding our elections.
Sen. Ron Johnsonexplainedhow Trump legitimately lost Wisconsin.
A design she was particularly proud of involved the Italian word for shame vergogna emblazoned in flames.
This is a struggle between good and evil.
How do we check that it never happens again?
I went gonzo to expose truths that all Americans deserve to know.
What you do with them now is up to you.
