House Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, better known as AOC, accused the House Minority Leader of allowing his party to get away with attacks and threats because of his political ambition in a blistering tweet.
The Republican Representative from California and leader of the House minority party, Kevin McCarthy was accused of failing to rein in his “Ku Klux Klan caucus” because he wants the support to be Speaker of the House if Republicans take back Congress in the next election.
And in doing so, he’s allowing the violent targeting of women of color.
People truly don’t understand the scale, intensity, & volume of threats targeting @IlhanMN.
Kevin McCarthy is so desperate to be speaker that he is working with his Ku Klux Klan caucus to look aside & allow violent targeting of woc members of Congress.
This cannot be ignored. https://t.co/ppridf6bZl
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 1, 2021
It’s not just about nasty phone calls and e-mails.
GOP are given freedom to incite without consequence. They don’t have to pay for the security required from their acts- we do. They make money off it.
&They are targeting those least likely to be institutionally protected first.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 1, 2021
For a long time, AOC, Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, a group of Democratic representatives informally known as “The Squad”, have been the target of right-wing attacks filled with racist, misogynist and Islamophobic rhetoric.
In addition to insults and derogatory rumors, Omar revealed she received a death threat after more inflammatory accusations from Republican Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
Boebert accused Omar of being a terrorist multiple times, including in a video she shared to her own Twitter page. Omar tried to get Boebert to issue an apology, which Boebert initially did, after which, Omar received the death threat.
QAnon adherent Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and former President Donald Trump both issued inflammatory, lie-filled statements attacking Omar after Boebert's apology.
As of this writing, McCarthy has yet to take any action against Boebert or Taylor Greene.
They literally don't care.
Have we learned nothing from 2016-2020?
— Mike Hall (@Mike_MFH) December 1, 2021
I'm so sad and heartbroken about this. Completely unacceptable and dangerous
— christellar (@christellar) December 1, 2021
Yes. Yes. One million times this.
— Jane Parsley 🆘 (@ParsleyJane8) December 1, 2021
100%
— Violet (@Violet80127091) December 1, 2021
Donate to the Democratic candidates running against Marjorie Taylor Green, Paul Gosar and Lauren Bobert.
— Liz McCambridge (@LizBiz812) December 1, 2021
Additionally, AOC herself has been the subject of threats of violence.
Last month, House Rep Paul Gosar of Arizona posted a video online of an anime parody, depicting himself killing AOC and threatening President Joe Biden.
While Gosar’s team has tried to write off the video as a joke, it was compared unfavorably to the right-wing outrage at similar inappropriate jokes made about then President Donald Trump by people like comedian Kathy Griffin.
While the Democrat led House took steps to censure Gosar, AOC has taken McCarthy to task for not condemning the video.
The House minority leader is doing anything but lead.
Paul Gosar threatened to kill AOC, and the GOP stood by him.
Marjorie Taylor Greene outwardly supports QANON, and the GOP stands by her.
Lauren Boebert calls Ilhan Omar Islamophobic tropes and the GOP stands by her.
All three must be removed.
— Aaron Parnas (@AaronParnas) November 26, 2021
Lara Logan equates Fauci with Mengele. Boebert compares Omar to a suicide bomber. Gosar posts a cartoon of him murdering AOC. Taylor Greene supports executing “deep state” agents. Cawthorn threatens bloodshed over Trump’s stolen election lie.
And we’re admonished to be polite?
— Moe Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) November 30, 2021
I'm so tired of these bigoted dumbasses being elected to an office they are clearly unfit for. Boebert, MTG, and their supporters need to get a reality check and realize that even though they disagree with AOC and Omar, they can be civil to one another. https://t.co/hepatALK87
— Dayton Clark (@L0nestar0) December 1, 2021
I commend Rep. Ilhan Omar for her courage. I am confident the braindead Islamophobe who left the voicemail threat will be facing justice soon. However the congresswoman's security must be reinforced. We all should support @Ilhan @AOC @RashidaTlaib who are in cross-hairs of hate. https://t.co/GN1llOFFxK
— Abukar Arman (@Abukar_Arman) December 2, 2021
What Rep. @Ilhan Omar is facing with the attacks reflects what all Muslims feel when it comes to Islamophobia-it is not taken seriously! @RepRashida @CAIRNational @AOC @CoriBush @cnnbrk @ABC @mehdirhasan @lsarsour @omarsuleiman504 @BarackObama https://t.co/iypJzsMTON pic.twitter.com/MAhnQ6VKb9
— Dr. Hatem Bazian (@HatemBazian) December 1, 2021
The fact people cheer for blatant racism and islamophobia like this is disgusting, also Boebert has actively done things like encourage Jan 6th and suggest she wants to kill people like Omar and AOC so I wouldn't be surprised if the guard was worried she'd do something violent. https://t.co/PfC6Ctn9HM
— 🏳️⚧️Goat Demon Bitch🏳️⚧️ (@GoatDemonBitch) November 26, 2021
On top of all of this, other conservative members of the House are voicing their displeasure with McCarthy’s lack of action.
GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois—who is not seeking reelection—criticized McCarthy for refusing to condemn far-right members of their caucus.
