Politics

‘Reprehensible’: GOP Rep Urges DOJ To Investigate ‘Death To America’ Chanters

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Zack Brave Capitol Hill Reporter
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Republican members of Congress from Michigan denounced “Death to America” chants made during an Al Quds rally late last week in Dearborn, Michigan, and called for Biden to take action on the anti-American rhetoric in statements to the Daily Caller.

The chants erupted following activist Tarek Bazzi’s speech at the event, addressing past criticisms of the Al-Quds Day rallies for being labeled as “anti-America.” Bazzi asserted that America was among the “most corrupt nations” in the world.

The White House condemned the “abhorrent and antisemitic remarks” heard at the rally Monday in a statement to the Daily Caller. (RELATED: White House Condemns ‘Death To America’ Chants From Michigan Arab Community)

Rep. John Moolenaar stressed to the Daily Caller that the “Death to America” chant is a “threat” and urged the Department of Justice to take legal action against the protesters.

“Attorney General Merrick Garland needs to investigate and prosecute the people in Dearborn who were making threats against America,” Moolenaar told the Caller. “Chanting ‘Death to America’ is a threat and not protected speech.”

Rep. Lisa McClain pointed a finger at the Biden administration for the rise of extremist speech in a statement to the Daily Caller.

“Chanting ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ is a twisted privilege of the First Amendment, a right nobody under Hamas’s terror would ever be given,” McClain told the Caller. “These chants are disgusting, and I fully condemn this hateful rhetoric. I pray those with this kind of evil in their heart can find peace. But with a White House that panders to this kind of political speech, I can’t say I’m all that hopeful that anti-American rhetoric will subside anytime soon.”

Rep. John James accused Democrats of hypocrisy for staying silent on what he said were calls for the genocide of Jews while calling out what they believed to be hateful speech.

“Extremist rhetoric like this has gone mainstream on the Left, and this is just the most recent example,” James told the Daily Caller. “Democrats love to say that ‘silence is violence,’ but when calls for genocide go out from their base, we hear crickets. I’ll never understand how someone can hate a country where the freedom to call for its demise is protected. No country is perfect, but America is the best Nation ever! Long Live America!”

Rep. Jack Bergman expressed his frustration with the inaction of Democrats in Northern Michigan and the governor’s mansion to the Daily Caller.

“It’s reprehensible that on American soil, we could hear ‘death to America’ chants as these extreme radicals openly call for our Nation’s downfall,” stated Bergman. “Still to this day, even after the Biden Administration finally acknowledged these vile chants, Governor Whitmer and every Democrat in elected office in Northern Michigan have failed to condemn this vile rhetoric. Our leaders must condemn this and stand behind our law enforcement instead of standing behind the rhetoric and condemning our heroes.”

Several Democratic officials from Michigan condemned the chants Wednesday following the Daily Caller’s request for a statement. However, several Democrats did not respond with a statement of condemnation.

After the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, antisemitic incidents have been on the rise across the United States. The White House came under fire for launching an anti-islamophobia initiative weeks after the terrorist attack. Critics argued the Biden administration did not take the spike in antisemitism seriously.