GOP Leaders Step up Their Dangerous Defense of Killers and Terrorists

Are GOP leaders looking to incite more violence?!

We are seeing a very alarming pattern emerge where some of the GOP’s best known figures are increasingly defending killers and terrorists. And the reason why is simple: These Republican leaders believe it helps them politically. That is the dangerous message being sent recently by the GOP governors of Texas and Florida who have very publicly spoken out in support of defendants who have literally killed people and Donald Trump’s defense of the Jan 6 terrorists at last week’s CNN Town Hall.

The latest example comes from Florida GOP Gov Ron DeSantis who tweeted Friday evening his support for Daniel Penny, the man charged Thursday by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with manslaughter in connection with the recent killing of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway. The facts of the case are straightforward.  Neely, who was homeless, had been on the subway where witnesses say he launched into a loud, “aggressive” rant about being hungry and declaring, “I don’t care if I die. I don’t care if I go to jail. I don’t have any food … I’m done.”

While the witnesses note passengers became uncomfortable and some walked away, Neely was neither waving a weapon nor had he assaulted or even touched anyone. That is when Penny, a US Marine veteran, walked up behind Neely and placed him a chokehold that lasted per witnesses nearly 15 minutes.  Per the New York City medical examiner, Neely died from compression to his neck as a result of Penny’s chokehold, ruling the death a homicide.

Why would the governor of Florida speak out on a case thousands of miles away in New York? Simple, DeSantis is expected to soon announce his run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination and he has seen growing support for Penny from a score of right wing figures.  For example, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene last week  called Penny a “hero” while Fox News’s Greg Gutfeld declared Thursday on air that that the manslaughter charge against Penny were “pro-criminal” and “anti-hero.”

It was in that backdrop that DeSantis—who spent Saturday campaigning in Iowa in preparation for his 2024 run—jumped into the fray on Friday night. The second term, governor first tweeted an attack on the Manhattan DA—a favorite target of the GOP since his offices recently charged Donald Trump with 34 felonies—by writing: “We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left's pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens.”  Then DeSantis added about Penny, “We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine... America’s got his back.” 

This is politics at its most dangerous. The case should be decided by a jury—not used as a political prop to score points. Instead, DeSantis is sending a message that if you are supported by the GOP base, we will have your back even if you kill someone.

We saw this identical message sent last month by GOP Texas Governor Greg Abbott after the conviction of Daniel Perry by a Texas jury for murdering Black Lives Matter protester and Air Force veteran, Garrett Foster. During a BLM protest in 2020, Perry was driving his car when he reached an intersection blocked by BLM protesters. He initially paused for a few seconds to allow some demonstrators to cross the street, but after honking his horn at them, he ran a red light.

It was then that Foster, who was in the street protesting, and Perry came into contact. There are conflicting accounts as to whether Foster pointed his weapon at Perry or Perry made the first move. What’s undisputed, however, is that Perry fired five shots from his .357 revolver through his car window, killing Foster.

During the trial, the key question for the Texas jury was whether Perry’s shooting was justified under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows deadly force to be used by those who feel their life is in danger. Prosecutors argued Perry had instigated the incident and introduced into evidence messages that suggested the shooting was not a spur-of-the-moment act but a premeditated one. One of the most damning was Perry’s Facebook message to a friend before the shooting that he might “kill a few people on my way to work.” After deliberating for 17 hours, the jury rendered a unanimous verdict finding Perry guilty of murder.

It was then that many on the right demanded Abbott pardon Perry from then Fox News host Tucker Carlson to GOP Texas US Rep. Ronny Jackson who tweeted to Abbott: “PARDON Daniel Perry IMMEDIATELY!”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton even released a statement to Fox News Digital  that includes language almost identical to DeSantis’s Friday tweet where he, too. attacked the so-called “Soros-backed DA” who prosecuted Perry. (As we know, BLM is despised by the right so the fact the man killed—although white—was a BLM protester, it despicably plays into why the right is fine with him being murdered.)

In response to this goading, Abbott announced just a day after the jury convicted Perry that he would ask the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles – whose members he appoints – to expedite the pardon paperwork for Perry, which he vowed to sign as soon as it “hits my desk.”

Keep in mind in all of 2022, Abbott only pardoned two people. But to make the GOP voices happy, he was all too eager to nullify a unanimous verdict of a Texas jury that found Perry was not acting in self-defense.

Since Abbott’s announcement of his intention to pardon Perry, unsealed court records reveal that Perry had often engaged in racist and violent talk that included fantasizing about killing people such as “hunting” Muslims. Despite that, Abbott has still not backed off his vow to pardon Perry.

That takes us to Donald Trump--the leading candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination—who during Wednesday’s CNN Town Hall repeated his pledge to pardon a “large portion” of the Jan 6 attackers who attacked the Capitol that day on his behalf. Keep in mind, hundreds of these defendants have been convicted of committing acts of violence—including brutally beating police officers. Trump’s un-American pledge to pardon these MAGA terrorists  was made even more vile by the pro-Trump audience applauding it. 

These GOP leaders are broadcasting a very dangerous message that if you commit a crime—be it murder to storming the Capitol to overturn an election – they will have your back if it’s in their political interest to take such a position.  Will this embolden more people to engage in the same conduct these Republican leaders are defending? Common sense says, yes. And worse, these GOP leaders know that.  In fact, some of them like Trump obviously want more violence.

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