A rally in Morgan County drew several Limestone County officials and others to the event that organizers said was aimed at promoting free speech and the first amendment.

Congressman Mo Brooks was the keynote speaker Saturday at the Free the Speech Rally, hosted by the Morgan County Republican Executive Committee with Fredricks Outdoor in Priceville. The Limestone County GOP was named as one of the sponsors of the event.

Tom Fredicks, Fredricks Outdoor president and treasurer for the Morgan County Republican Committee, held the rally at his dealership.

“We are proud to say Mo Brooks is our congressman and we want him to bask in the limelight,” Fredricks told The News Courier news partner WAFF-48 before the event.

“After the incidents on (Jan.) 6th and the subsequent apparent suppression, media suppression and bias, we felt like it was important for us to make a statement as Republicans that we stand behind our first amendment and our right to express ourselves,” Fredricks told WAFF-48.

Brooks has come under fire for comments at the Save America rally on the Ellipse on Wednesday, Jan. 6 that preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. During the rally, Brooks told the crowd that he wanted them to take a message back home and “along the way stop at the Capitol.”

“Today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass,” Brooks said at the Save America rally.

Some have called for him to resign for the speech, while others have called for censure by Congress.

One media outlet estimated about 500 people in support of Brooks at Saturday’s Morgan County rally, while organizers of the event said around 1,000 were in attendance.

Most in attendance came out in support of the congressman, while one non-supporter held a sign voicing his disapproval, according to published media reports.

Former state representative Ed Henry, who was recently pardoned by Donald Trump, emceed the event alongside Fredricks. Before introducing state GOP  vice chairman John Wahl, Henry said, “there is movement out there of ‘let’s start another party — the Republican party has abandoned us.’”

“The party has been controlled by people who don’t have our best interest at heart,” Henry said. “John Wahl is a guy who has our best interest.”

He disagreed with starting another party saying, “all that does is divide us.”

“What we need to do is take over the Republican party,” Henry said.

“We have slipped in our attention,” he said later. “Thinking that just because someone is Republican that they believed in our values.”

Limestone Countian John Wahl, vice chairman of the state Republican Party who said he is currently running for chairman, started by quoting founding father Patrick Henry. He said he chose the quote for a specific reason saying “the media and big tech think Donald Trump is a little out there. Imagine if they had our founding fathers.”

He said he believes the founding fathers would be censured today.

“What has our country become when we don’t have the ability to speak our free conscience,” he added.

Stan McDonald, who serves on the Alabama Ethics Commission and was co-chair of the Tommy Tuberville campaign, also spoke during the rally saying he stands behind Mo Brooks and would “completely defend him.”

Before Brooks spoke, Fredricks said, “We are blessed to have a congressman who is not afraid to take names and kick ass.”

Brooks, who spoke to the crowd for about 30 minutes, talked first about voter fraud and election theft allegations. The Department of Justice said in December they had not found widespread evidence of voter fraud. 

He went on to talk about the events on Jan. 6.

“That was supposed to be a day of great congressional debate about voter fraud and election theft that, in turn, was supposed to help propel America to make the changes necessary to have a more honest and accurate election system,” Brooks said. “Instead, our message was hijacked. Once the illegal breach of the U.S Capitol began, the media forgot about voter fraud and focused on the U.S. Capitol events.”

He also talked about his speech at the Ellipse rally.

“While it is accurate I said ‘Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass,’” Brooks said. “What the accusers intentionally omit is I uttered those words not about the Ellipse rally or going to the Capitol, I uttered them in the context of fighting to win in 2022 and 2024. And the socialists know that and the fake news media knows that but they lie about it anyway because that doesn’t make for as good of a story.”

Brooks said he thought the Jan. 6 speech was one of the best rally speeches he had ever given.

“We were kind of depressed and despondent because we just got our derrieres kicked in November and the night before in Georgia,” Brooks said, adding he wanted people to start thinking about the upcoming election cycles.

State Rep. Danny Crawford, R-Athens, was recognized during the event for representing Athens, but did not speak during the rally.