As U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday urged investigations into Rep. Paul Gosar’s tweeting of an animated video that depicts him murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leading gender justice group issued a call for the Arizona Republican’s ouster from Congress, and from Twitter.
“We’re calling on Speaker Pelosi to begin removal proceedings against Gosar from Congress without delay.”
As Common Dreams reported earlier Tuesday, Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) were among those who condemned Gosar after he tweeted an anime video based on the opening credits of the popular Japanese series “Attack on Titan” showing him slaying a giant with the face of Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and swinging swords at President Joe Biden.
“In any other workplace, a person would be fired immediately for sharing content threatening violence and murdering a coworker. There should be no difference in Congress,” said Bridget Todd, communications director at the gender justice group UltraViolet, in a statement Tuesday.
We’re calling on @SpeakerPelosi to begin Rep Gosar’s removal from Congress and @Twitter to #BanGosar. Here’s why 🧵 https://t.co/ypEgKQexwL
— UltraViolet is fighting for a #FeministNet 🌐 (@UltraViolet) November 9, 2021
“Rep. Gosar’s tweets depicting the murder of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and violence against President Biden are horrific,” she continued. “That’s why we’re calling on Speaker Pelosi to begin removal proceedings against Gosar from Congress without delay.”
Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday tweeted that the House Ethics Committee and law enforcement should investigate Gosar’s tweet. The speaker’s call mirrored a similar recommendation by the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.
Threats of violence against Members of Congress and the President of the United States must not be tolerated. @GOPLeader should join in condemning this horrific video and call on the Ethics Committee and law enforcement to investigate. https://t.co/qX8kMbiZ8n
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) November 9, 2021
The video posted by Gosar also conflated immigrants with violent criminals. Gosar—whom Ocasio-Cortez called a “white supremacist clown”—has previously come under fire for speaking at an event organized by white nationalist and Capitol insurrection supporter Nick Fuentes.
Appearing on MSNBC Monday evening, Jennifer Gosar called her brother “an awful man.”
“What he is expounding upon in his sick fantasies is the fact that he cannot even approach the intellect of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez,” Jennifer Gosar said of her brother. “He must be stopped.”
Paul Gosar’s sister last night pleaded with House leadership that “he must be stopped,” after his latest anime video showed him stabbing AOC with knives. She says he is showing his “sick fantasies” to his white nationalist groyper followers hoping they will act on them. pic.twitter.com/6CFXpHdUot
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 9, 2021
UltraViolet’s Todd added: “Paul Gosar has used Twitter to spread lies, misinformation, and retweet neo-Nazis. The reality is that he should have been banned from Twitter a long time ago.”
“If this doesn’t encourage Twitter to take action and protect its users,” she asked, “what will?”
Amid mounting calls for the GOP congressman to be expelled from Congress over his conduct, the White House simply said it would leave any potential action on the matter to Twitter.
“There is absolutely no place for any violence of any sort in this political system,” White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday, according to The Hill. “I don’t want to go any further than that. I leave it to the social media platform for how they’re going to move forward on that.”
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As Pelosi Urges Probes of Gosar’s AOC Murder Video, Calls Mount for Congressman’s Ouster added by Brett Wilkins | Common Dreams on
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