ABC Political Director Rick Klein calls for ‘cleansing’ pro-Trump movement

President Donald Trump waved to supporters during a campaign event at the Berglund Center on September 24, 2016 in Roanoke, Virginia. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 1:35 PM PT – Friday, January 8, 2021

Republicans expressed outrage with the mainstream media for suggesting a “cleansing” of the 75 million voters who supported President Trump.

During an interview on Thursday, ABC’s Political Director Rick Klein expressed concern about threats against the media as violent protesters overwhelmed the Capitol building earlier this week.

“I was aghast, I was saddened, I was disgusted by the violence that I saw,” Rick Klein stated. “Yes, a part of it was at least the violence inflicted on the equipment of the media and the threats that were scrawled on walls. I find it enormously distressing.”

While many have condemned the violence, some are saying Klein took his frustrations too far.

In a since deleted tweet posted Thursday, Klein shared an article and wrote, “Trump will be an ex-president in 13 days. The fact is that getting rid of Trump is the easy part. Cleansing the movement he commands is going to be something else.”

His comments were met with immediate backlash, with many pointing out the mainstream media’s hypocrisy for defending the same type of violence at BLM protests all summer long.

Sebastian Gorka, former deputy assistant to the President, fired back against Klein’s Twitter post, calling him a fascist and asking why ABC is ok with targeting Republicans.

Didn’t fascists “cleanse” their enemies?

That’s what @rickklein is calling for.

Guess that makes him a fascist too.

Why is @ABC good with that? https://t.co/ZhgzhYWWRp

— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) January 7, 2021

Klein has since re-posted the article with a different comment, but has not recanted his original statement.

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