Klobuchar urges colleagues to tone down ‘hateful rhetoric’
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has called for a reduction in “hateful rhetoric” following a tragic incident where Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot, and state Senator John Hoffman and his wife were severely injured. Klobuchar, speaking on MSNBC’s *Morning Joe*, linked the violence to “imbalanced” individuals being influenced by extreme rhetoric found online. She stressed the need for lawmakers to reflect on their own speech as it may contribute to such violence.
In light of the attacks, which involved suspect Vance Luther Boelter, who was apprehended after a two-day manhunt, Klobuchar supported calls for increased security for Congress members. She highlighted a dramatic increase in threats against lawmakers, from about 1,700 in 2016 to over 9,000 in the last year. She compared Boelter’s case to othre violent acts against government officials and emphasized the role of hateful online content in inciting violence.
Klobuchar also shared updates on the recovery of Senator Hoffman,who suffered multiple gunshot wounds,thanking supporters and expressing hope for their healing. Authorities found a list of potential targets in Boelter’s vehicle, indicating a broader threat.
Klobuchar urges colleagues to tone down ‘hateful rhetoric’ after lawmaker shootings
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) suggested “imbalanced” people are reading “hateful rhetoric” that is making them violent.
Klobuchar appeared Monday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe after Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot. Minnesota Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also seriously injured by gunshots from the same suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, who was taken into police custody on Sunday. Klobuchar agreed with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to increase security for Congress members after the targeted attacks.
“When I was chair of the Rules Committee, I worked really hard to get more security for members’ homes and offices. And that is because of the facts: In 2016, there were about 1,700 threats against members of Congress. Now, in the last year, there were over 9,000 threats,” Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar compared Boelter to David DePape, the man sentenced to life in prison without parole after he attacked former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) husband. Klobuchar noted that similar threats have also been made against judges.
“They read things online, they believe them, they start acting them out, they already are imbalanced themselves, and they actually go do what they’re reading online,” Klobuchar said. “So that has been a contributor, as well as, of course, a lot of hateful rhetoric, and there are a lot of politicians that should be looking in the mirror and bringing their rhetoric down.”
MINNESOTA SHOOTING SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER TWO-DAY MANHUNT
On Sunday, Klobuchar shared an update via a screenshot of a text message from Yvette Hoffman, wife of the Democratic state senator. The state senator took nine gunshots and his wife took eight, but thanks to “many surgeries,” he is “closer every hour to being out of the woods.”
Authorities suspected that Boelter had more targets in his planned attack after police found a list in his car of potential targets, including other politicians and abortion providers. Also in the car, officials found fliers for the anti-Trump “No Kings” protests happening that day.
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