Deputy Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., Ominously suggested on Monday that Donald Trump supporters within the National Guard charged with helping to protect Joe Biden “may want to do something” to the elected president.
In an unprecedented demonstration by the security force, 25,000 National Guard soldiers were sent to Washington, DC, to protect Biden’s possession this week. The city is on the edge after a pro-Trump crowd invaded the U.S. Capitol on January 6, which interrupted the Biden Electoral College’s victory certification and resulted in several deaths. The FBI is examining members of the Guard service charged with protecting the Capitol this week.
Cohen told CNN that he was reminded that former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was murdered by her own bodyguards and said that any Trump supporter within National Guard units is suspected.
STATES ACTIVATE THE NATIONAL GUARD, CLOSE CAPITOL BUILDINGS BEFORE THE INAUGURATION OF BIDEN AND POSSIBLE VIOLENCE
“O [National] Guard has 90 percent of men and only about 20 percent of white men voted for Biden, “he said.” You have to find out that in Guarda, which is predominantly more conservative … they are probably not more than 25 percent of the people there protecting us who voted for Biden. The other 75 percent are in the large class of people who may want to do something. “
CNN’s Jim Sciutto countered Cohen, saying that being a Trump voter was “very different from being a threat of violence”. When asked to substantiate his claim of possible dangers around Biden, Cohen said he had none, but added “you draw a circle first” around the Trump voters in the Guard of whom you should be “suspicious”.
Washington Post investigator Glenn Kessler criticized Cohen for suggesting that any Trump supporter was a possible “seditionist”.
“Hmmm, does a Democratic congressman really want to suggest that if you voted for Trump, you could be a seditionist?” Kessler tweeted. “What happened to the idea that the military is professional and does its job regardless of political preferences?”
Steve Krakauer, editor of the Fourth Watch newsletter, called the comment “absolutely reprehensible” and almost seditious in its implications.
Others, particularly conservative online voices, piled up Cohen because of his comments.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Cohen also seemed to overestimate the level of white men’s support for Trump. A poll revealed that Biden got about 38% of white male voters in the election. Trump’s support from white voters has waned since his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton and was the key to Biden’s triumph.