“My first thought was that the Iranians had followed through on their threat to strike the Capitol.”

Sen. SUSAN COLLINS, R-Maine, describing in a Bangor Daily News op-ed her reaction on Jan. 6 after security personnel rushed Vice President Mike Pence and two Senate leaders out of the Senate Chamber. Police later explained that violent pro-Trump rioters had forced their way inside the building.

“Don’t tell me he was banned for violating Twitter rules. I get death threats here every day for many years, and Twitter doesn’t ban anyone.”

Russian opposition leader ALEXEY NAVALNY in a Jan. 9 tweet, commenting on Twitter’s decision to permanently ban President Donald Trump from the social media platform due to what it called “the risk of further incitement of violence.” Navalny nearly died last year after being poisoned with a nerve agent in Russia.

“I do not believe that such a course of action is in the best interest of our Nation or consistent with our Constitution.”

Vice President MIKE PENCE, in a Jan. 12 letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, rejecting Democratic requests that he invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office.

“It’s crazy. … This is my 30th flu season. I never would have expected to see flu activity this low.”

LYNNETTE BRAMMER, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s flu surveillance team, on the past year’s dramatic drop in flu cases. Although COVID-19 cases continued to surge in January, health experts believe the social distancing measures taken to suppress the coronavirus have suppressed other viruses as well.

“Amen and awoman.”

U.S. Rep. EMANUEL CLEAVER, D-Mo., delivering final words in his House Chamber prayer marking the swearing in of the 117th Congress on Jan. 3. Cleaver prayed for peace “in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and ‘God’ known by many names by many different faiths.”