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White House condemns Gosar video, Pelosi urges investigations

Published 11/09/2021, 02:16 AM
Updated 11/09/2021, 03:21 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) questions United States Park Police acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan, during a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee hearing on "The U.S. Park Police Attack on Peaceful Protesters at Lafayette Square", on Capitol Hill in

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) questions United States Park Police acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan, during a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee hearing on "The U.S. Park Police Attack on Peaceful Protesters at Lafayette Square", on Capitol Hill in

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House and Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday condemned an anime video tweeted by Republican congressman Paul Gosar that depicted him swinging swords at President Joe Biden and killing Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"This should not be happening, and we should be condemning it," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called on a congressional ethics panel and law enforcement officials to investigate.

"Threats of violence against Members of Congress and the President of the United States must not be tolerated," Pelosi said in a statement on Twitter (NYSE:TWTR).

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy's office did not respond to requests for comment.

The 90-second video shared by Gosar on Sunday appears to be an altered version of a Japanese animated series.

A House Ethics Committee staff official declined to comment.

One ethics expert said that threatening behavior could violate both House ethics rules and federal criminal statutes.

"He is putting his real feelings out there, and his real feelings look very threatening," said Craig Holman, ethics lobbyist for Public Citizen.

Under House rules, ethics violations can result in reprimands, fines, censure or removal from office. Threats can also constitute felony violations punishable by imprisonment.

But Gosar appeared unbowed. "I will always fight for the rule of law, securing our borders and defending the America First agenda," the lawmaker said in a statement.

The Arizona Republican, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, voted against certifying Biden's 2020 election victory in January, has backed Trump's claims of a stolen election and has described Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 as "peaceful patriots."

Twitter added a warning label to the video, saying it violated its "hateful conduct" policy. It also restricted engagement with the tweet. But Twitter said in a notification attached above the tweet that it had determined "it may be in the public's interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."

Ocasio-Cortez responded to Gosar's tweet with a Twitter https:// thread noting the video posted by a "creepy member I work with," and said she expected no consequences for Gosar from the House Republican leader.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) questions United States Park Police acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan, during a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee hearing on

Other Democrats called for Gosar to leave office.

"In any other job in America, if a coworker made a video killing another coworker, that person would be fired," members of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee said in a statement.

Latest comments

but mad max can tell the public to get in Republicans faces and threaten them.
this same congressman supported sedition and violent inserection at the Capitol on jan6. he needs more than an "investigation".
I remember dems talking about ***the former president and it wasn't an issue. cry babies
exactly what I was going to say
This article does not read as an objective account by this author. It cheapens the discussion to add peripheral characterizations building a framework for guilt, rather than reporting on complete and well rounded fact. Blurbs like this one will never cease to disappoint. Also, it should be obvious to any adult hearing about this manufactured outrage what an opportunistic and overblown issue this is. I will concede that the representative that posted the video should have anticipated this as an outcome but that demonstrates nothing more than poor taste.
no spin ...of course Biden won, Trump is a crook, a PROVEN serial liar business cheat, tax dodger, he has stolen workers wages. found guilty of using his Foundation as a personal slush fund..he used funds from it to keep from being prosecuted for his Trump university scam by the AGs office in florida. if you like a corrupt man who wants to gut the American Constitution and take power, then Trump is your man.
"America first" who is he Charles Limburg? It's not 1941 anymore
oh boo hoo, any of them have enough memory to recall their reaction to a liberal comedienne and President Trump's severed head.
there's quite difference between a bad joke and trump setting off an inserection where people died ....
Was she a member of Congress subject to ethics and laws?
Twitter has no problem, ethics committee won't either.....
Anyone that actually thinks Joe Biden got 84 million votes . I got a bring for sale in Brooklyn.
from the reaction to my post we have a lot of support for trump's lies and attempt to overthrow Democracy in America.
the difference was that trump is a serial liar and was spreading misinformation false conspiracy theories and pushing violence.
A Politician has never lied to you? Biden hasn't lied to you? Pelosi hasn't? Lol. 😆
but trump's constant bickering blaming and Lying lies has makes the others look down right honest he is a con man and odviouly your were easy pray for him. how does it feel to be his patsy.
Where was all this censorship when people were portraying the exact same thing to Trump? Double standards much?
Exactly
they weren't elected officials who have a specific code of conduct they are to follow - your so unhappy take a trip to china and russia and bath in what trump wants to give you!
HAHAHA. He mentioned code of conduct in the same sentence as elected official...HAHAHAHA
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