Claudia Tenney, Republican Representative for New York's District 22, retweeted a crude photoshopped meme mocking the attack on Paul Pelosi, and most of Twitter is calling her out for it—including California's Representative Eric Swalwell.
Tenney shared a photo of a house that was recently investigated by the FBI in their investigation into the attack on Paul Pelosi, over which someone had photoshopped several men holding giant hammers.
Tenney's caption:
"LOL"
@claudiatenney/Twitter
Nancy Pelosi's 82-year-old husband Paul was attacked with a hammer and suffered a skull fracture severe enough to require surgical repair. He is expected to make a full recovery, but remains hospitalized.
California Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell apparently wasn't willing to tolerate this level of cruelty from a colleague, and called Tenney out on Twitter.
"The husband of one of your colleagues is being treated in an ICU right now and this is your response? To mock his attack? When you were raising your son, did you ever tell him to laugh at the pain of others? Or did you teach him better? This is disgusting. Delete it."
\u201cThe husband of one of your colleagues is being treated in an ICU right now and this is your response? To mock his attack? When you were raising your son, did you ever tell him to laugh at the pain of others? Or did you teach him better? This is disgusting. Delete it.\u201d— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell) 1667275847
Yes, 4 days after the tweet was posted, it is still live.
Although, as Aaron Rupar notes, she did disable the replies.
\u201c.@claudiatenney posted this remarkably cruel tweet laughing at the brutal beating of her colleague's husband and then when people started dragging her for it, she turned off the replies instead of deleting. Cowardly.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1667310311
Many joined Swalwell in their scorn for Tenney's tweet.
\u201c@RepSwalwell @claudiatenney How sickening that you spout about Jesus rising from the dead, and yet mock an 82-year-old crime victim. People reap what they sow. Thanks @RepSwalwell for drawing attention to @claudiatenney \u2018s hypocrisy, her cruelty. VOTE @FDConole\u201d— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell) 1667275847
\u201c@RepSwalwell @claudiatenney seems to have conflated meanness with strength. She\u2019s wrong; it\u2019s the opposite. Meanness = weakness.\u201d— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell) 1667275847
\u201c@RepSwalwell She has the word "integrity" in her bio.\n\nHer words show she lacks even a smidgen of integrity.\u201d— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell) 1667275847
Representative Swalwell was far from the only Twitter user taking Tenney to task for her gross lack of empathy.
\u201c@claudiatenney The level of evil it takes to find humor in the violent attack of an 82 year old man is not something I ever want to understand. However @claudiatenney you have most certainly proven beyond all doubt that you are unfit to sit in the US Congress.\u201d— Claudia Tenney (@Claudia Tenney) 1667007600
\u201c@claudiatenney You are a disgusting person.\u201d— Claudia Tenney (@Claudia Tenney) 1667007600
\u201c@claudiatenney This is despicable. You are an embarrassment to the people of central NY and to your alma mater.\u201d— Claudia Tenney (@Claudia Tenney) 1667007600
\u201c@claudiatenney You laugh at someone nearly getting killed? What's happening there in the USA???\u201d— Claudia Tenney (@Claudia Tenney) 1667007600
\u201c@claudiatenney Nothing to see here folks. Just a sitting member of Congress retweeting and laughing at a tasteless joke meme that uses the violent assault of a man in his 80s as the punchline, just because he is married to her political opponent. Do better.\u201d— Claudia Tenney (@Claudia Tenney) 1667007600
\u201c@claudiatenney When did Republicans become such crass, soulless, hateful, and spiteful human beings as to laugh that an elderly gentleman is in the ICU because of a violent assault? Disgusting. \n\n\u201cI never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.\u201d - Jonathan Swift\u201d— Claudia Tenney (@Claudia Tenney) 1667007600
\u201c@keltrott @claudiatenney Tenney thinks mocking the spouse of a Congresswoman who had his head bashed in with a hammer is a laughing matter.\n\nI think #NY22 needs a change next week!!\u201d— Claudia Tenney (@Claudia Tenney) 1667007600
\u201c@a___rho @RepSwalwell @HillaryClinton Yup ... deplorable was way too nice.\u201d— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell) 1667275847
Those calling Tenney out include her NY-24 Democratic challenger Steven Holden.
\u201cYes, @RepSwalwell is right, this tweet from @ClaudiaTenney is disgusting.\ud83d\udc47\n\nI'm running against Tenney in #NY24 because the voters of the district deserve better.\n\nRT if you're ready to retire Tenney on Nov. 8th!\u201d— Steven Holden (@Steven Holden) 1667322040
It remains to be seen whether this example of Tenney's cruelty will affect voters next Tuesday.