Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell lamented what he called a “radical tantrum” on Saturday after his Kentucky home was vandalized with messages apparently protesting his refusal to increase Covid’s aid payments from $ 600 to US $ 2,000.
The attack followed another similar attack at the home of Nancy Pelosi, president of the Democratic Chamber, in San Francisco.
Pelosi’s Democrats supported the move to increase payments, but McConnell blocked it, despite its origin in a demand from Donald Trump.
According to local media reports, on Saturday morning, the majority leader’s home in Louisville was painted with slogans like “Werewolves [sic] my money? “and” Mitch kills the poor “.
The police reported minor injuries. It was not immediately known whether McConnell and his wife, transport secretary Elaine Chao, were at home at the time.
In California, Pelosi’s house was given a pig’s head, red paint and messages like “cancel the rent” and “We want everything”.
In a note on Saturday, McConnell said: “I spent my career fighting for the first amendment [which protects free speech] and defending peaceful protests. I thank every Kentuckian who got involved in the democratic process, whether you agree with me or not.
“This is different. Vandalism and the politics of fear have no place in our society. My wife and I have never been intimidated by this toxic manual. We just hope that our neighbors in Louisville are not too bothered by this radical tantrum.”
The state Republican Party demanded that Democrats report the vandalism. In a tweet, Democratic Governor Andy Beshear called the vandalism “unacceptable”.
“Although the first amendment protects our freedom of expression,” he I wrote, “Vandalism is reprehensible and never acceptable for any reason.”
Protesters against both McConnell and Trump in their attempts to stay in power – which McConnell objected to – met outside the home of the majority leader.
“We all know that Trump supporters and what everyone wants to call Black Lives Matter have their differences,” said one protester, in images transmitted on social networks.
“But collectively we are here because Mitch is a bitch and he owes money to the American people … we are here together to protest because the government, the system, has been robbing us in many different ways.