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House votes to censure Gosar over violent tweet
The House of Representatives punished a Republican lawmaker on Wednesday over an anime video that depicted him killing progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and swinging swords at President Joe Biden.The Democratic-controlled House approved a resolution to censure Representative Paul Gosar and strip him of two congressional committee assignments. Only 2 Republicans voted for the resolution.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “This is about workplace harassment, and violence against women. Yet he never apologized and said ‘its a cartoon, relax.’ Relax? Really?” Gosar, a staunch Trump ally and hardline conservative, removed the video from Twitter and Instagram but has offered no apology to Ocasio-Cortez, according to the Democratic lawmaker.AOC: “What’s so hard about saying this was wrong?” Representative Ocasio-Cortez, the subject of Gosar’s tweet, said the threat of violence should transcend politics. “It’s pretty cut and dry – does anyone in this chamber find this behavior acceptable? Would you allow depictions of violence against women, against colleagues? Would you allow that in your home? Do you think this should happen on a school board? In a city council? In a church? And if it’s not acceptable there, why should it be accepted here?” But Gosar defended the cartoon, which depicted him stabbing a giant with the face of Ocasio-Cortez, with blood gushing from the wound. “I reject accusations from many in this body that the cartoon was dangerous or threatening. It was not. And I reject the false narrative categorically. I do not espouse violence against anyone.”McCarthy: “Rules for thee, and not for me!”Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy – who refused to condemn the tweet – claimed Democrats weren’t applying their own standards to themselves: “When a member of the Democratic leadership tweeted a week ago ‘lock up Kyle Rittenhouse and throw away the key’ in an attempt to sway on ongoing trial. The Democrats said nothing. WHY? Rules for thee, but not for me.”Gosar’s video was the latest instance of escalating violent rhetoric in Congress, 10 months after thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers prepared to certify his election defeat.Ocasio-Cortez said it had to stop.“Our example matters. There is meaning in our service. And as leaders in this country, when we incite violence with depictions against our colleagues, that trickles down into violence in this country. And that is where we must draw the line…”
