“Dr. Gold is the definition of what a political prisoner looks like — something I never thought I would see here in the United States of America,” Gohmert said. A day before January 6, Gold spoke at a “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, DC, where she further promoted vaccine misinformation. The next day, he joined a group of rioters who forced their way past the officers and breached the US Capitol. He later spoke via loudspeaker to other rioters gathered in Statuary Hall. At her sentencing hearing in June, US District Judge Christopher Cooper condemned Gold for “giving people the false impression that this is a political prosecution.” Cooper sentenced her to 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to entering a restricted area of the Capitol, a low-level misdemeanor with a maximum possible sentence of one year behind bars. The statement released by Gohmert’s office Friday said it presented Gold with the flag “to honor her invaluable work and contributions to public health, medical freedom and our God-given constitutional rights.” The certificate presented with the flag said it was given “in honor of the beginning of the rest of (Gold’s) invaluable life … with great respect, admiration and awe,” according to photos of the flag presentation posted on Gold’s Twitter account. Gohmert, who is leaving Congress when his term ends next year after an unsuccessful run for Texas attorney general, is one of the most vocal proponents of the Jan. 6 conspiracies. He is also part of a group of House Republicans who have rallied to defend some of the people charged in connection with the insurgency. “I am honored to receive this recognition from Congressman Gohmert, a true believer in freedom and a fierce defender of our constitutional rights,” Gold said via Twitter. provides official flags flown over Capitol Hill to members of Congress upon request. The office “fulfills an average of more than 100,000 flag requests” from lawmakers annually, according to its website. Gold is one of more than 125 Capitol rioters who have been sentenced to prison or jail after being convicted of crimes related to Jan. 6. Nearly 875 people from across the country have been indicted by the Justice Department.
