House GOP Reps didn’t have any problems with MAGA threats of violence until they targeted them

Their past silence emboldened this

After Trump backed House Speaker candidate Jim Jordan lost two votes in a row, we saw the MAGA faithful embrace their go to move: They threatened with violence those who dared defy what Trump wanted.  We learned that after numerous House Republicans revealed publicly that they—and their families in some cases—were personally being subjected to death threats from the supporters of Trump’s closest ally Jordan.

This is despicable and dangerous. But where were these Republicans when MAGA supporters were threatening judges, prosecutors and witnesses in the cases involving Trump?! They were nowhere to be found because speaking up would’ve hurt them politically—or worse, they agreed with the threats to protect GOP leader Trump.

There is no member of the House more loyal to Trump then Jordan—as the MAGA base knows.  Jordan—as I’ve written about—was a “significant player” in Trump’s attempted coup. In fact, no member of Congress was more involved in Trump’s attempted coup than Jordan—as Liz Cheney the vice-chair of the Jan 6 committee recently reminded us.

That is why MAGA has rushed to help Jordan by threatening Republican House members who opposed him with death threats and even threatened their families.

Georgia GOP Rep. Drew Ferguson revealed that he had received death threats after he switched his vote from Jordan in the first vote to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. He said, "Shortly after casting that vote, my family and I started receiving death-threats." He added, “That is simply unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated."

The threats against Ferguson and his family became so concerning that “Ferguson told the GOP House conference that he‘s had to have a sheriff stationed at his daughter’s school over death threats from the far right. Also, one at his house.”

GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa told the media that after she flipped her vote to oppose Jordan on Wednesday, she was subjected to alarming threats of violence. She said in a statement, “Since my vote ... I have received credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls. The proper authorities have been notified and my office is cooperating fully.”

Rep. Nick LaLota, a New York freshman GOP, who opposed Jordan twice in votes posted an image of a threatening message he received, pledging to "whip all of the hair out of your fucking head" if they met. "I will not succumb to threats," he vowed.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) confirmed his wife received anonymous texts and calls in the days leading up to the Speaker vote that urged her to tell Bacon to vote for Jordan. Screenshots of the reported text messages to Bacon’s wife read, “Why is your husband causing chaos by not supporting Jim Jordan? I thought he was a team player” and “Your husband will not hold any political office ever again. What a disappointment and failure he is.”

More alarming was a message sent to the wife of an unnamed GOP congressman opposing Jordan played on CNN Thursday that included threats of sexual violence and hate-filled language. The ugly message stated in part: “Why would he get on TV and make an asshole of himself? Because he’s a deep-state prick? Because he doesn’t represent the people? So what we’re gonna do is we’re going fucking follow you all over the place. We’re gonna be up your ass fucking nonstop.” The vileness continued, “You will not be left alone because of your fucking faggot husband. Jim Jordan or more conservative or you’re going to be fucking molested like you can’t ever imagine…You won’t go to the beauty parlor. You must be a bitch to marry a fucking ugly motherfucker like that.”

In addition, Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), who also opposed to Jordan, said his staffers have been “cussed out” in phone calls from Jordan supporters. Womack slammed Jordan for failing to loudly denounce the use of violence: "[Jordan]'s done nothing to stop it, in my opinion, that I believe would be effective enough to call the dogs off."

This is all vile. But none of this is surprising. This is what Trump has trained his supporters to do. If anyone—even a Republican—opposes Trump, his supporters understand what their beloved Trump wants of them.

In fact, at the CPAC convention in March, Trump included so called RINOs (which is any Republican who oppose him) as one of the enemies of MAGA. That is the infamous speech when Trump declared: “I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.”

He then told the MAGA faithful, “We will drive out the globalists. We will cast out the communists. We will throw off the political class that hates our country…We will expose and appropriately deal with the RINO’s.”  And building to a crescendo, Trump bellowed, “We will liberate America from these villains and scoundrels once and for all.”

To Trump and his base, anyone who opposes Trump is a traitor to MAGA. And just as Trump has vowed to be “your warrior,” his MAGA base has responded to those who dare oppose him with threats of violence or actual acts of violence. For example, after the federal  magistrate signed the search warrant authorizing the search of Trump’s home last year, he was subject to vile, anti-Semitic threats that caused his synagogue to cancel services that week. Trump supporters made countless threats against the FBI in defense of Trump and one devoted Trump supporter even attacked an FBI office wearing body armor and carrying a firearm to avenge Trump. (He was later killed by the local police.)

Did GOP leaders denounce that? Of course not. Instead, they continued to demonize the FBI and DOJ.

Same goes for Trump’s attacks on judges, prosecutors and potential witnesses in his crimianl cases that have all led to documented threats of violence. This is why the prosecutors in his cases have 24-hour security.

In fact, in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s recent motion seeking a partial gag order--which was imposed earlier this week--he wrote: “The defendant [Trump] knows that when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspires others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets.” The Special Counsel’s motion then provides examples of Trump knowingly doubling down on public attacks despite reports of violence directed at his targets.

The House Republicans now being targeted knew all of this but were silent. They didn’t care or approved of the fact that MAGA had embraced the use of violence to impact politics, a trademark of fascist movements.

All of this conjures up the last line of the famous poem by Martin Niemöller: “Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

If only these Republicans had spoken out before the MAGA monsters came for them.

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