Democrats’ decades-long history of violent rhetoric against political opponents

Member of the Democratic Party And liberal media outlets have a history of using violent rhetoric or imagery against political opponents that goes back more than a decade.

Texas Democratic House candidate Jolanda Jones became the latest example on Wednesday A throat-cutting gesture Repudiating former first lady Michelle Obama’s famous mantra, “When they go low, we go high,” on CNN’s “Outfront.”

“If you punch me in the face, I’m not going to punch you back in the face. I’m going to punch you in the neck,” Jones said while making a slashing motion at her neck.

“We can go back and forth, fighting in each other’s faces. You have to hit hard where they don’t come back,” she added.

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State Representative Jolanda Jones was the latest Democrat to use violent rhetoric and imagery to attack political opponents. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Jones’ campaign said she was virtually speechless when reached for comment by Fox News Digital.

Jones’ comments followed reports that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones, both Democrats, had written violent messages in the past calling for the Republican politician’s death.

Elected Democratic officials are also guilty of using controversial language when attacking their opponents. In 2018, Republican Maxine Waters of California encouraged supporters at a rally to confront members of the Trump administration and “Push back” on them.

“If you see anybody in that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, in a gas station, you go out and you create a crowd and you push them back and you tell them they’re not welcome anywhere anymore,” Waters said.

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In 2020, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. warned Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that “Pay the price“To hear cases relating to abortion.

California Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., once asked supporters to confront members of the Trump administration and “push back” them. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In 2023, New York Rep. Dan Goldman, DNY, warned Then-candidate Donald Trump was “subversive to our democracy” and needed to be “removed.” However, he quickly apologized for his comments, claiming it was a “poor choice of words”.

Even former President Joe Biden used heated language against Trump during his time in office, telling donors during a call in 2024 that “it’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye.” This comes after Trump has repeatedly claimed that he is a “threat to democracy”.

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Outside the political sphere, mainstream media commentators have made controversial comments that promote violence.

In 2013, MSNBC anchor Martin Bashir called former Alaska governor Sarah Palin an “idiot” and a “dunce” and told viewers that someone Feces in Palin’s mouthInvoking old slave sentences in response to Palin’s speech comparing the national debt to slavery. Bashir got down From his position weeks later.

MSNBC host Nicole Wallace once asked how reporters kept themselves from wringing Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ neck in 2018. (Getty Image via Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal)

MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace suggested that media reporters should be tempted Neck “twist”. of then-Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2018.

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“How do you resist the temptation to wring her neck? Why can’t she just say, ‘If an employee says that, we’re going to get to the bottom of it and she’s fired?'” Wallace asked on air.

Violent rhetoric has spread to Hollywood, and many anti-Trump celebrities are seen advocating violence against the president.

During the Women’s March in 2017, singer and actress Madonna commented that she had “thought an awful lot about it. By blowing up the White House.” She later defended her comments, claiming they were “taken out of context” and that she really wanted to make a difference “with love”.

Comedian Kathy Griffin released a controversial photo of Trump’s head covered in fake blood. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images; Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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In the same year, the actor Johnny Depp joked At a music festival, “When was the last time an actor assassinated the president?” Before adding, “Maybe it’s time.” He later apologized for his comments and insisted that it was just “entertainment” and no harm was meant.

Especially comedians Kathy Griffin In 2017 he gained attention by posting an image of himself with a realistic replica of Trump’s severed head covered in fake blood. She was later questioned by the Secret Service but stood by the image as her First Amendment right.