Bernie Sanders condemns baseball shooter, urges 'real change can only come about through nonviolent action'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he was "sickened" by the shooting at congressional Republicans' baseball practice Wednesday morning. The shooter, identified by law enforcement officials as James Hodgkinson, 66, of Illinois, was reportedly "more on the progressive side of things" and campaigned for Sanders in Iowa.
"Let me be as clear as I can be," Sanders said. "Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action, and anything else runs against our most deeply held American values."
Conservatives also jumped to the defense of Sanders, with Commentary editor John Podhoretz tweeting: "If you blame Bernie Sanders for this, you stink." Watch Sanders' statement below. Jeva Lange
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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