(Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Press Release
White House’s Death Threats Against Lawmakers Are a Dangerous Endorsement of Political Violence
We cannot become a country where pushing back on abuses of power causes people to fear for their lives or the lives of their families.
Washington, D.C. — Government watchdogs are condemning President Donald Trump’s dangerous endorsement of political violence against several sitting members of Congress who pushed back against the White House’s politicization of the military, by encouraging members of the armed services and intelligence community to refuse illegal orders. Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Acting Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:
“A sitting president endorsing death threats toward members of Congress — ones who were following their oaths to the Constitution and encouraging others to do the same — is beyond the pale. The ability to disagree, free from the fear of violence, is a bedrock principle of this country. When the highest office in the country calls for political violence against lawmakers, it undermines every American’s right to safety, security, and free speech.
“We have seen time and again the human cost when people in power stoke flames of division. We cannot become a country where speaking out against unlawful orders and standing up for the Constitution causes people to fear for their lives or the lives of their families.
“Congress has the right and the responsibility to ask questions when the executive branch is refusing to provide answers. Lawmakers must continue to hold the president accountable and push back when the administration abuses its powers.”
###
