‘What the Hell Is Wrong With’ GOP, As Conservative Alleges Violence Fetish
Republicans need to speak up, otherwise somebody is going to get killed, Democratic congressman adds
Outrage and concern is growing as prominent figures on the political right continue to deny and mock last week's brutal attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband.
Right-wing candidates and other politicians are being dismissive of the attack allegedly carried out by David Wayne DePape, 42, in which he reportedly assaulted 82-year-old Paul Pelosi with a hammer at the Pelosi's San Francisco Calif., home and asked, “Where's Nancy?”
The incident is being treated as an assassination attempt against Speaker Pelosi, who is in the line of presidential succession following Vice President Kamala Harris.
The San Francisco district attorney has charged DePape with several counts, and his attack has been called politically motivated.
Unfortunately, a number of Republican politicians, including Virginia Gov Glenn Youngkin and Arizona candidate Kari Lake, have chosen to mock the Pelosi attack.
And Donald Trump Jr, the adult son of the former president, retweeted a photo of a hammer and a pair of underwear captioned, “Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready.”
This casual mockery and embrace of violence has others deeply worried only days ahead of the midterm elections.
“Well, it is the fetishization of violence and you do have the congressman who will have a picture of himself firing a gun saying fire Nancy Pelosi. That has consequences,” said Charlie Sykes, conservative “Never Trumper” commentator and editor of the online journal The Bulwark. “The number of candidates who have bedecked their Christmas cards with AR-15s, but also, just the increasing celebration of people like Kyle Rittenhouse. I mean, how did Kyle Rittenhouse become a hero among Republicans and on the right? I mean, he shot and killed two people. He shot another person. And yet, there is this sense that somehow he was heroic.
“The retrofitting of the assault on January 6 into a patriot uprising. And you heard that rhetoric from the man who tried to assassinate Nancy Pelosi. All of these ideas have real consequences,” Sykes added.
Republicans now have a responsibility to speak out against political violence, according to Rep Eric Swalwell (D-Calif).
“So, believe it or not, it may seem, you know, crazy to us that people would listen to a leader as to whether they carry out violence or whether they go home. It actually carries great weight,” the congressman said in a separate television appearance. “And so, more Republicans need to speak up, otherwise somebody is going to get killed, and Paul Pelosi almost was killed.”
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