In November 2019, House Republicans joined with Democrats and voted unanimously to block tear gas, rubber bullet, and pepper spray exports to Hong Kong in an attempt to stop police there from attacking peaceful protestors. But now that it’s American citizens being tear gassed, shot at, and pepper sprayed by police, House Republicans are cheering on President Trump and standing with the White House’s violent reaction to peaceful protests of police violence against African Americans.
Yesterday, in fact, House Republicans were silent on Trump’s decision to gas and shoot rubber bullets at peaceful protestors of police violence against African Americans. And today, GOP WHIP Steve Scalise and NRCC Chair Tom Emmer proudly announced in an interview with Politico’s Jake Sherman that they were “unbending” in putting House Republicans squarely in line behind Trump’s actions.
House Republicans’ enthusiastic embrace of Trump’s violent reaction puts them at odds with other Washington Republicans, including Republican senators’ and Trump’s cabinet members’ clumsy attempts to distance themselves from Monday’s actions.
Republicans claim they want to talk about China. They should start here.
Statement From DCCC Spokesperson Robyn Patterson
“Last year, House Republicans tried to stop Hong Kong police from attacking peaceful protestors. Months later, they’re cheering the decision to gas and shoot rubber bullets at Americans peacefully protesting police violence against African Americans. House Republicans have embraced a gross, cynical kind of politics that is even too extreme for some of Trump’s own cabinet members. House Republicans’ continued embrace of a racist political playbook, along with their disregard for the First Amendment and American citizens’ constitutional rights will not go unnoticed by voters.”
[SCALISE AND EMMER] WERE MOSTLY UNBENDING in their defense of TRUMP. And they thought his actions to restore law and order in America would be politically advantageous for him, and for the Republican Party, come November.
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BOTH MEN also brushed aside complaints about law enforcement dispersing protesters at the White House so that TRUMP could go to St. John’s Episcopal Church. EMMER said he didn’t believe the gathering had been peaceful, and in fact, he was surprised police didn’t do something earlier to break it up. (Most every reporter there said it was peaceful.)
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