Pelosi pressures McCarthy to act amid Gosar video backlash
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has weighed in on the scandal surrounding Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who on Sunday evening tweeted an animated video in which he kills Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and attacks President Biden. Twitter has since flagged the post as a violation of the platform's "hateful conduct" rules.
"Threats of violence against Members of Congress and the President of the United States must not be tolerated," Pelosi wrote on Twitter. "[House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)] should join in condemning this horrific video and call on the Ethics Committee and law enforcement to investigate."
The speaker isn't the only one putting pressure on the minority leader.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Also on Tuesday, a group of Democratic lawmakers issued a joint statement asking McCarthy to take action over the incident. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) shared his take, as well.
But don't think Gosar hasn't gotten his measure of backlash, as well. On Monday, squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said Gosar's postings have "no place in our political discourse and society."
Former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh called for Gosar to be censured — though the GOP "won't do a damn thing to him," he wrote.
All this arrives amid reports McCarthy wants to "punish" the 13 House Republicans who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which the House passed late Friday night.
Only "time will tell" how McCarthy handles the situation, argued MSNBC's Steve Benen, but his "best guess is that the House GOP leadership will say something mild and meaningless about the 'tone' on Capitol Hill, before waiting for the story to fade away."
But of course, added Benen, "the more McCarthy tolerates his members' radicalism, the more radicalism our system will be asked to endure."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
The pros and cons of buying a fixer-upper
The Explainer Does it make sense to buy a home in need of a little TLC?
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
The origin and evolution of the Kamala Harris coconut meme
The Explainer You think it just fell out of a coconut tree?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: July 26, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Netanyahu makes controversial address
Speed Reads Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress denounced Gaza war protestors
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Pelosi and Obama add to doubts over Biden
Speed Read Both Democrats think the president should reconsider his reelection campaign, insiders say
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Menendez convicted of bribery, fraud, and extortion
Speed Read The New Jersey Democratic Senator was found guilty in a federal corruption trial
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Florida judge dismisses Trump documents case
Speed Read Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Hamas says military chief survived Israeli strike
Speed Read An Israeli bombing failed to hit its intended target, military commander Mohammed Deif, but killed at least 90 Palestinians
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
First Israeli report on Oct. 7 finds 'severe mistakes and errors' in IDF response
Speed Reads Israeli military admits failures in response to deadly Hamas attack that triggered Gaza war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published