White House, Emmer call for Jeffries to apologize https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5119208-white-house-emmer-jeffries-apology/ excerpt: The White House on Friday called for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to apologize for remarks pledging to push back against the Trump administration's agenda. Jeffries at a press briefing stressed "the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaire donors and wealthy corporations, and then stick New Yorkers and working-class Americans ... with the bill." "We are gonna fight it legislatively. We are gonna fight it in the courts. And we're gonna fight it in the streets," Jeffries said. A release from the White House Office of Communications on Friday then blasted Jeffries for what it characterized as “a sick call for violence.” “Will Minority Leader Jeffries apologize for this disgusting threat? Or will he double down on the same calls for violence that have plagued the country for years?” the statement read. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) also said on X that Jeffries “should promptly apologize for his use of inflammatory and extreme rhetoric.” “President Trump and the Republicans are focused on uniting the country; Jeffries needs to stop trying to divide it,” Emmer said. more at the link
Because he said "fight"? Didn't Trump's lawyers defend his speech on January 6th, 2020 by saying his use of the word "fight" was meant figuratively?
The difference being that Trump was telling an already whipped up crowd "If you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore" with the apparent goal of stopping the imminent election certification from proceeding. Much easier to draw a connection between that and the riot that actually happened.
You don't sound very convinced that one is more egregious than the other. I think context matters here, and the stakes Trump was presenting to that crowd about what was about to take place and his apparent lack of concern when violence commenced was pretty damning.
“Fight in the Streets”: Democratic Leader Hakeen Jeffries Triggers Renewed Debate Over Rage Rhetoric https://jonathanturley.org/2025/02/...s-triggers-renewed-debate-over-rage-rhetoric/ excerpt: The point is not that Jeffries is encouraging violence. I do not believe that. The point is the hypocrisy in the condemnation of such rhetoric in others while fueling anger among your own followers. more at the link
If only Republicans and all of those that excused them had a leg to stand on in the debate. They don't.
We've listened for years for calls of violence from Republicans, and they constantly dismiss it as nothing. Now they are complaining? Just seems like such crazy double standard.
