Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “All In” that threats against her colleagues were now on “speed dial” after President Donald Trump “spent four years violently attacking various members of Congress.”
Hayes said, “So you both have been in Congress for a while, and I want to go to you, Congressman Speier and then, Congressman Jackson Lee.”
He asked, “Is it worse now? Do you personally feel and see an uptick in that kind of communication? In the kinds of threats that someone was just for instance convicted of.”
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) said, “No question. It’s a combination of Donald Trump’s presidency and the use of social media to bring people together of like minds.”
Jackson Lee said, “Violence is on speed dial. I have seen an exponential increase in violence. But here’s the difference, violence by members of Congress. We didn’t even mention to you that metal detectors were put up around the House floor for the potential of members who were bringing guns on the floor of the house after January 6th.”
She added, “It’s OK to use the First Amendment. We sign up for a job that is the people’s house. We expect to be called out in restaurants or maybe on streets or attacked for our policies. But we don’t expect to have a member who is stoking the fires of violence in the context not only of President Trump, who spent four years violently attacking various members of Congress. And these are women of color as well, that makes it worse. I talked to police officers on January 6 in the aftermath, and all of them were abused, but black officers made it very clear, there were racial epithets thrown at them, so it’s heightened.”
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