Scalise labels Capitol rioting 'domestic terrorism'

Source: The Hill | January 13, 2021 | Tal Axelrod

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) on Wednesday excoriated last week’s violent mob in the Capitol and labeled it “domestic terrorism” in his most extensive remarks to date regarding the deadly riots.

Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican who survived a politically-motivated shooting in 2017, hammered the rioters who stormed the Capitol last week, forcing lawmakers to flee to a secure location. He also panned Democrats who have tied the insurrection to rhetoric from President Trump.

“I am still outraged by the domestic terrorism we saw at the Capitol last week, and I condemned it immediately,” Scalise tweeted. “Both the politically-motivated gunman who shot me on a baseball field and the anarchists who rioted at the Capitol were radicalized by extreme rhetoric. It would be naive to think that either of these actions occurred in a vacuum.” 

“I reject the notion that Wednesday’s attack was justifiable or that antifa led the mob into the Capitol. I also reject the notion that the mob’s actions represent the motivations of the millions of Americans who voted for President Trump or the Republican Party.”

Wednesday Twitter thread came a day after Scalise published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal in which he called on lawmakers in both parties to tone down their rhetoric. 

“What happened last Wednesday went well beyond any candidate’s legal right to contest an election and is another glaring sign that public discourse has gotten out of control. With only days to go until President-elect Biden’s Inauguration, our national temperature is far too high. A powder keg had been smoldering long before Wednesday’s events. For the sake of our country, politicians and media figures—of both parties—have to tone down their rhetoric,” he said.

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