Alleged “Political Rhetorical Terrorism” Against Republicans; Trump Says Assailant is Dead

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Alleged “Political Rhetorical Terrorism” Against Republicans; Trump Says Assailant is Dead

By Neil A. Carousso

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) is in critical condition after being shot in the hip while practicing baseball early Wednesday morning in Alexandria, VA for the next day’s Congressional charity game that is played annually at Nationals Park in the nation’s capital.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center tweeted about Scalise’s updated condition at 2:29 PM ET. Initial reports were that the Louisiana representative was stable.

Rep. Scalise was critically injured and remains in critical condition. The other patient is in good condition.

— MedStar Washington (@MedStarWHC) June 14, 2017

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA).

Scalise, 51, underwent surgery after being rushed to the hospital. Two police officers and a Congressional aide were also shot. The other victims are reportedly in good condition in local hospitals.

The shooter was identified as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson, of Belleville, Illinois. President Donald J. Trump addressed the nation, saying Hodgkinson is dead.

The heroes, the U.S. Capitol Police, took the gunman down and prevented casualties.

An emotional Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) who joined Fox News Channel earlier, said that the level of partisan politics has boiled over to the point that people are not managing differences and engaging in proper discourse.

“This is a result, I believe, of political rhetorical terrorism. That has to stop,” Rep. Davis said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP8GDU__cbs

“We have to have unity in this country. We are the United States of America. We are great,” Davis said. “We have to bind together as Americans, not as Republicans and Democrats.”

Rep. Ron DeSantis, (R-FL), told Fox News as he walked to his car, a man asked him if it was Republicans or Democrats on the baseball field. About 3 minutes later, at about 7:15 AM, the shooting began, DeSantis said. The shooting reportedly lasted about 10 minutes with Congressmen and Congresswomen and staffers taking cover in the first base dugout.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) told Fox News he “felt like I was in Iraq, but without my weapon.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) described, in excruciating detail, his perspective of the harrowing experience on “The Fox News Specialists,” after calling into “Fox & Friends” as the situation unfolded.

.@RandPaul talks to #FoxNewsSpecialists about witnessing today's shooting. #Alexandria pic.twitter.com/EBrp351Y36

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 14, 2017

The deceased perpetrator James T. Hodgkinson, 66, had been outspoken about his liberal political beliefs on Facebook.

What We Know About the Shooter

The shooter’s Facebook page reveals he has strong far-left political beliefs and he is an apparent former-volunteer for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign for president. Sanders called the shooting a “despicable act.”

Hodgkinson’s Facebook profile’s background photo is a portrait of Sanders and the profile picture states, “Democratic Socialism explained in 3 words: ‘We The People.'”

Alexandria shooter James T. Hodgkinson wrote in March “It’s time to destroy Trump & Co.” (Courtesy: Facebook)

In one Facebook post, Hodgkinson called Trump a “traitor” and wrote “It’s time to destroy Trump & Co.”

Hodgkinson, who was once arrested for battery, subscribed to a Facebook group called “Terminate the Republican Party,” writing incendiary, vitriolic posts about Republicans.

Partisan Death Threats

Multiple members of Congress say they have received threatening emails and calls on Wednesday including an email to Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) that stated “one down, 216 to go” – a clear reference to the Republican members of Congress who were targeted Wednesday morning.

“Did you NOT expect this?” continued the email sent to the office of Rep. Tenney. “When you take away ordinary peoples very lives in order to pay off the wealthiest among us, your own lives are forfeit. Certainly, your souls and mortality were lost long before.”

Rep. Tenney’s office reported the email to Capitol Police.

Congressmen and Congresswomen from both sides of the political aisle have said they have received death threats.

Politically-Charged Drivel in the Wake of this Incident is Wrong

Longtime Clinton aide and Democratic strategist Virginia Governor Terry McAullife exploited the assassination attempt to push his gun control agenda.

“There are too many guns on the street. We lose 93 million Americans a day to gun violence. I’ve long talked about this; background checks, shutting down gun-show loopholes. That’s not for today’s discussion, but it’s not just about politicians, we worry about this every day for all of our citizens,” said McAullife.

Some liberals have been taking to Twitter in the aftermath calling for stricter gun laws. Illionois, where the shooter is from, has the strictest gun laws in the country and its City of Chicago is home to the most gang-related violence in the U.S.

Virginia:
No background checks
No licensing
No registration
No permit req’d for concealed carry of long guns
Open carry long guns & handguns

— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 14, 2017

Within moments of the shooting, unhinged liberal activists who claim to be tolerant celebrated the attack on Twitter with some labeling Rep. Scalise as a racist member of the Ku Klux Klan and inappropriately using the opportunity to attack the GOP’s healthcare plan.

So Rep. Steve Scalise, who once spoke at a white supremacist event sponsored by David Duke (google it) was SHOT today in Alexandria.

— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) June 14, 2017

Steve Scalise blocked gun control of any sort. He has created hate. Now hate turns on him. I have no sympathy for Scalise. A white racist

— Darrell Groves (@DarrellGroves) June 14, 2017

I am not praying for Steve Scalise. Nor am i for racist Trump.

— Darrell Groves (@DarrellGroves) June 14, 2017

If the shooter has a serious health condition then is taking potshots at the GOP house leadership considered self defense?

— Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet) June 14, 2017

Other left-wing extremists described the shooting as an act of “karma” because of Rep. Scalise’s support for the National Rifle Association, saying, “The GOP deserves everything it has coming their way.”

I would feel bad for Scalise if he wasn’t a white supremacist. Karma is a bitch and the GOP deserves everything it has coming their way.

— PualBearersGhost (@Carichampionsoc) June 14, 2017

Another individual described the event as “karma for the gun loving right.”

https://twitter.com/JulieBruneau10/status/874963525348859904

The KKK is a terrorist organization. Steve Scalise is a terrorist supporter and apologist. It is HIS fault he got shot. Yeah I said it.

9:20 AM – 14 Jun 2017

—lib (@LibHeroine)

—

An act of senseless violence, seemingly politically motivated, is inexcusable and sends a strong message to the nation that people need to cool their emotions and keep policy debates civil.

Glorifying the assassination of the President in a New York City play, Kathy Griffin’s vile photoshoot and the snowflakes’ outrageous hysteria over Trump’s presidency are patterns of behaviors that are being accepted and normalized in the mainstream by celebrities and the media.

When liberal politicians make appalling claims that people will “die” if ObamaCare is repealed in favor of the GOP healthcare plan, people take notice.

When educators become indoctrinators and make odious remarks inside and outside of the classroom, students become brainwashed. Just weeks before Wednesday’s incident, Dr. John Griffin, a college professor called for Republicans to be “lined up and shot.”

Griffin, who teaches Media Arts and Animation at the Art Institute of Washington, just outside of the nation’s capital, lambasted Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare on May, posting on Facebook his suggestion to shoot Republican House members.

Last month a professor called for the public assassination of the GOP house

Not one media outlet reported this –> https://t.co/UXmbAEfbR3 pic.twitter.com/LCHrrHVQRK

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 14, 2017

Griffin used inflammatory language in another post referring to the GOP.

“Republicans are a f***ing joke and their voting block runs the gamit [sic] from monstrous to ignorant,” Griffin wrote.

Griffin apologized after her posts were reported in online media publications.

Our society should not accept the promotion of violence against anyone, including people with whom we strongly disagree.

Let’s be clear and blunt: This is the shooter’s fault, not the gun’s fault. He sought out GOP Congress members and Capitol Police, according to eyewitnesses.

Two Capitol Police officers, Krystal Griner and David Bailey – the first responders – were Scalise’s security detail; if the House Majority Whip was not present, this situation could have been a massacre in an open baseball field. The armed security detail saved lives.

The FBI is investigating the incident to determine if it was an act of terror and the defined motives of the shooter.

Let’s stand together as a nation on this Flag Day and seek better political discourse following this horrific incident. No political disagreement is worth anyone’s life. That is why vicious, incendiary “jokes” about assassinating President Trump, “blowing up the White House” (Madonna), threats against people for their political beliefs, Republicans being shunned and silenced on college campuses, and similar hostilities that have ramped-up after the election are heinous and should be investigated by the Secret Service and Homeland Security so it doesn’t inspire people to execute such acts.

“We may have our differences, but we do well, in times like these, to remember that everyone who serves in our nation’s capital is here because, above all, they love our country,” remarked President Trump.

God Bless Rep. Scalise and his family, all the victims, our law enforcement officers who save lives every day and the United States of America.

Featured Image Courtesy: Fox 5 Washington, D.C.

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Alleged “Political Rhetorical Terrorism” Against Republicans; Trump Says Assailant is Dead

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