“Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) shared an altered, animated video that depicts him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and swinging two swords at President Biden, prompting condemnation and calls for his Twitter and Instagram accounts to be suspended.
“Gosar’s digital director, Jessica Lyco, defended the video Monday night, dismissing claims that it glorifies violence. 'Everyone needs to relax,' she said in a statement."
(Felicia Sonmez. “Rep. Paul Gosar tweets altered anime video showing him killing Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden.” The Washington Post. November 08, 2021.)
If it's not Texas Senator Ted Cruz condemning Big Bird for getting the COVID vaccine, it's another Republican lawmaker pushing the wacky “division button” … this time with deadly intentions. The GOP cuckoos are running wild this fall. Now, good old Paul Gosar is playing his nasty games with cartoons.
Gosar's video went viral and as of Tuesday morning had been viewed more than 3.2 million times.
The Content of the Video
The Washington Post provides this description:
“'Any anime fans out there?' Gosar said in the tweet in which he shared a link to the video.
“The 90-second clip appears to be an altered version of the opening credits of the Japanese animated series “Attack on Titan.” The show revolves around a hero who sets out to destroy the Titans, giant creatures that have devoured nearly all of human civilization. In recent years, Internet users have turned the show’s opening credits into a popular meme.
“In the video Gosar posted, the congressman is depicted fighting the Titans alongside Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (Colo.). In one scene, Ocasio-Cortez’s face is edited over one of the Titans’ faces. Gosar flies into the air and slashes the Titan in the back of the neck, killing it.
“In another scene, Gosar swings two swords at a foe whose face has been replaced by that of Biden.
“The animated scenes of the video are interspersed with real-life footage of Border Patrol officers, some standing shoulder-to-shoulder and others on horseback rounding up migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“In one scene, footage of migrants crossing the Rio Grande is overlaid with what appears to be splattered blood. In another, the words 'drugs,' 'crime,' 'poverty,' 'money,' 'murder,' 'gangs,' 'violence' and 'trafficking' flash across the screen. The video also features shots of Gosar, the Capitol and migrant caravans.
(Felicia Sonmez. “Rep. Paul Gosar tweets altered anime video showing him killing Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden.” The Washington Post. November 08, 2021.)
A Twitter spokesperson said late Monday that a “public interest notice” had been placed on Gosar’s tweet because it violates the company’s policy against hateful conduct.
Gosar And His Record
Gosar has long drawn criticism for his extremist views.
Gosar drew national attention in 2018, when six of his nine siblings endorsed his opponent, warning that his increasingly extremist views made him unfit for office. In an interview with The Washington Post, his brother David said he and Paul Gosar split when Paul told him he believed the "birther" theory that President Obama was not born in the United States. Despite these warnings, Paul Gosar won reelection to U.S. House in Arizona’s 4th Congressional District in 2020.
(Grace Segers. “Six siblings of GOP congressman endorse his opponent in viral campaign ad.” CBS News. September 22, 2018.)
Also in 2018, Gosar traveled to London to speak at a rally urging the release of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, a British anti-Muslim activist who was jailed for disrupting a trial. Gosar gave a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives accusing the British government of covering up for “Muslim gangs who are raping British girls, almost with impunity.”
Gosar took $10,000 to attend that rally. That trip was arranged and paid for by the Philadelphia-based anti-Muslim nonprofit that organized it, the Middle East Forum.
(Joseph Flaherty. “Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar's Far-Right London Trip Funded by Fringe Group.” Phoenix New Times. August 10, 2018.)
Another time Gosar said the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., was organized by an “Obama sympathizer” and was paid for by George Soros. He then went on to falsely accuse Soros, a Holocaust survivor, of turning his fellow Jews over to the Nazis.
(Ronald J. Hansen. “Rep. Paul Gosar pushes far-right conspiracies on Charlottesville, George Soros.” The Republic. October 05, 2017.)
And he backed anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer’s failed congressional bid. Rep. Gosar has used his social media perch to back the far-right Florida congressional candidate who has claimed some mass shootings were staged and lost online accounts of her own over her anti-Muslim views.
(Ronald J. Hansen. “Rep. Paul Gosar endorses anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer for Congress.” Azcentral. August 05, 2019.)
Gosar recently eearned an “F” from the Republican Accountability Project. He did not sign the Texas amicus brief; he objected to certification of electoral college votes in one or more states; he made false and/or irresponsible public statements against the democratic system; he voted against the impeachment or conviction of Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection; he voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack; and he voted against holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress
The Project reported Gosar worked feverishly to cast doubt on the results, organizing and appearing at “Stop the Steal” rallies and in Town Hall meetings with his constituents.
In an official statement Gosar bragged about his involvement in the stop the steal movement: “I helped organize the very first ‘Stop the Steal’ rally in Arizona right after it became clear that voting patterns emerged that could not occur in the absence of fraud. Patriotic warriors joined together to gather evidence and tell the Left we will not accept a coup and a usurper in the White House.”
He shared a video detailing the “evidence” of the fraud that was widely debunked. He appeared in numerous Town Hall meetings where he claimed there were “lots of dead people voting” and that this election “was even worse than a banana republic.”
He was one of the leaders of the charge to object to the certification of Electoral College votes, where he ignominiously voted to disenfranchise millions of his fellow Arizonans.
Rep. Gosar did not vote in support of the bipartisan commission proposal to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection.
(“Rep. Paul Gosar: GOP Report Card Legislator Profile.” Republican Accountability Project. 2021.)
Then, after he denied plans for a campaign fundraiser with a white nationalist who supported the Capitol insurrection, Gosar told supporters in a fundraising email that “the FBI might have had a hand in planning and carrying out” the attack on 6 January.
(Alex Woodward. GOP Rep Gosar sends fundraising email claiming ‘FBI might have had a hand in planning and carrying out’ Capitol riot.” Yahoo News. July 02, 2021.)
Ocasio-Cortez Response
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded Monday night, noting that while she was traveling to Glasgow, “a creepy member I work with who fundraises for Neo-Nazi groups shared a fantasy video of him killing me.”
The congressman will “face no consequences bc @GOPLeader cheers him on with excuses,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, without naming Gosar.
“Fun Monday! Well, back to work bc institutions don’t protect woc,” she said, referring to women of color.
“This dude is a just a collection of wet toothpicks anyway,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “White supremacy is for extremely fragile people &sad men like him, whose self concept relies on the myth that he was born superior because deep down he knows he couldn’t open a pickle jar or read a whole book by himself.”
(Rachel Treisman. “Rep. Paul Gosar shared an anime video of himself killing AOC. This was her response.” NPR. November 9, 2021.)
Gosar’s term doesn’t end until 2022, but opposers have already stepped forward, citing their frustration with the right-wing congressman. He is facing growing calls to be arrested or expelled from Congress after he shared the anime video.
"This man should not serve in Congress," tweeted Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ocasio-Cortez's fellow "Squad" member. "Fantasizing about violently attacking your colleagues has no place in our political discourse and society."
"Radical Republicans are dangerous," Representative Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) tweeted. "This behavior from Rep. Paul Gosar encouraging violence is unacceptable. He needs to be removed from congressional committees. Haven't we had enough political violence already? In any other workplace in America, he would have been fired."
The End
Holy Toledo, people! This guy is still spewing his venom and division as an Amercan lawmaker? He has been condemned for his associations with white nationalists, his praise for insurrectionist rioters, and his anti-election efforts.
The House Republican leadership can either ignore Gosar's scandals or take action to address them. Any person with a brain knows the course of action to take. Given more time as a representative, Gosar will continue his sick ways.
Steven Benen of MSNBC sums up the situation well when he says …
“Who knows, maybe the would-be House Speaker will surprise everyone and take meaningful action against Gosar. Maybe releasing a video about a murder fantasy against a sitting member of Congress will be the thing that pushes McCarthy (House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy) to finally give up on Gosar – the way McCarthy gave up on Iowa's Steve King a few years ago.
“Time will tell. But my 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, at least until Gosar's next outrage.
“The more McCarthy tolerates his members' radicalism, the more radicalism our system will be asked to endure.”
(Steve Benen. “New Paul Gosar controversy puts pressure on Republican leaders.” MSNBC. November 09, 2021.)
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