Last updated on February 2nd, 2021 at 12:45 pm
As the Republican Party becomes increasingly radicalized following Donald Trump’s humiliating defeat last fall, Democratic lawmakers are fearful that GOP members of Congress will shoot them.
During an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) said his Democratic colleagues are getting fitted for bullet-proof vests following the MAGA terrorist attack at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
“Is this a real concern or is this a rhetorical concern?” Hayes asked Rep. Gomez. “What you are implying is that you are scared that Marjorie Taylor Greene might shoot someone at the Capitol. Is that what you are saying?”
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“When members are buying bullet-proof vests and getting fitted across the Democratic caucus … yes, this is serious,” the Democratic congressman responded.
Video:
Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) says his Democratic colleagues are buying bullet-proof vests because they’re worried about violence, even from Republican colleagues. pic.twitter.com/7ohxZxidZh
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) January 29, 2021
Rep. Gomez said:
When members are buying bullet-proof vests and getting fitted across the Democratic caucus, when people are looking at new security measures for their homes, including myself, yes, this is serious. People are deeply concerned. If she said, ‘Okay, I’m not going to bring my gun to the floor, we’re not going to bring it to the House, yeah, people would feel better. But that doesn’t mean that she can’t incite somebody.
Instead of rooting out extremists, the GOP is welcoming them in
Following Donald Trump’s clear defeat last November – and especially after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol – the Republican Party had a prime opportunity to root out MAGA extremism from the party.
They could have done this not just by wholeheartedly condemning Trump for inciting the attack, but also by voting to have him impeached and removed from office immediately. This would have, in effect, given the GOP a chance to hit reset after four years of Trump’s disastrous presidency.
Instead of doing that, the Republican Party has increasingly welcomed in these extreme – increasingly violent – voices. They continue to bow down to Donald Trump and allow people like Marjorie Taylor Greene to have prominent roles in the GOP.
This is what the Republican Party has become, and it should terrify every American who wants to live in a healthy, thriving democracy.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
