In a new appearance on MSNBC, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) discussed some of the guilt held by Donald Trump and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy in the wake of instances of political extremism like the shootings at four Democratic officials’ personal residences in New Mexico.
An unsuccessful Republican state legislative candidate who supported Trump and spread allegations of election fraud — including in surprise visits conducted in-person to the homes of three of the officials he later targeted — was arrested this week for orchestrating the attacks. There were no injuries reported, but it came close. In an incident earlier this month, where over 12 bullets were fired outside the home of a local state representative, three went into the bedroom of that legislator’s 10-year-old child. Solomon Peña, the assailant, tasked at least four people with helping him carry out the attacks.
“We know that Donald Trump used dangerous extremists for his own purposes on January 6, but they’ve used him as well and have been brought into the political system,” Raskin observed to host Rachel Maddow when asked about whether the violence in New Mexico was the kind of thing about which he and his colleagues on the now defunct House riot investigation panel were concerned. “And now we’re ending up with people like George Santos, or Lauren Boebert, or Solomon Peña in New Mexico as actual Republican nominees for Congress!.. If you have a policy of no enemies on the Right, you’re going to get people entering into public office and entering into political campaigns who behave in such ways.” Peña, just to be clear, was a Republican nominee for a state — rather than national — legislative seat.
Asked for further details on his assessment of the approach by Republican officials to extremists, Raskin added: “That was Donald Trump’s attitude. Essentially, if you were willing to support Trump, it didn’t make any difference if you were a Holocaust revisionist, if you were marching in Charlottesville… and when Kevin McCarthy decided to embrace Trumpism, he by definition embraced that credo too.” Raskin also tore into Republican antagonism towards federal law enforcement, denouncing a newly approved subcommittee procedurally lumped under the House Judiciary panel as essentially an effort to obstruct the work of federal investigators, including as it relates to January 6 — the efforts of whom could ensnare certain Republicans in Congress, including Republican members who may be involved in the investigations Republicans have planned. The subcommittee will be led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who is also chairing the judiciary committee in the new Congress.
Raskin is the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Check out Raskin’s comments below:
