Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley blamed Democrats — specifically California Rep. Maxine Waters and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker — for the growing number of Republicans who have been ambushed in public by protesters.
Although Grassley did not mention Waters or Booker by name, he made clear references on “Fox & Friends” Friday morning to statements both reps. have made that may have encouraged liberal activists to take such actions.
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Ainsley Earhardt brought up the topic, asking, “Senator, what do you think about protesters attacking your colleagues in elevators? Orrin Hatch and Jeff Flake?”
“I think it’s a reflection of the incivility of American society generally, and I think it’s also evidence that people will go to any length when they are encouraged by people on Capitol Hill, like one Congresswoman saying, ‘Confront them in the restrooms. Go up’ … and another senator saying, ‘Get in their face.'”
Waters made headlines when she told supporters to confront anyone in the Trump administration in grocery stores and gas stations, while Sen. Booker suggested that the way to get through to some members of Congress was to “get in their faces.”
Grassley went on to criticize them further, suggesting that they ought to be better examples. “We, as senators, ought to be setting examples for civility, not encouraging incivility,” he said. “You’ve heard about the resistance since November 2016. You are seeing the resistance headquarters right here on Capitol Hill, all among Democrats.”
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