Representative Val Demings, normally a cool-headed moderate, flew into a rage this afternoon in the U.S. House as she accused her GOP colleagues of inflammatory rhetoric and specious support of law enforcement.
“You are using [law enforcement officers] as pawns because it serves your ridiculous political purpose!” Demings said.
The Florida Democrat, a 27 year veteran of law enforcement, admonished one colleague in particular: Rep. Jim Jodan (R-OH).
When Jordan fumbled for a response, Demings shouted, “Did I strike a nerve!?”
The heated exchange, ineffectually moderated by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), came during a debate about a bill that is designed to reverse the recent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans.
According to Mediaite, “Jordan called for an amendment to the bill,” and “he went on a tangent attacking Democrats for their rhetoric about the police as the country observes civil unrest between the Derek Chauvin murder trial and the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright.“
“Law enforcement officers deserve better than to be utilized as pawns! And you and your colleagues should be ashamed of yourselves!” Demings yelled at him.
She pointed out that Republicans stood silent as the “Big Lie” about election fraud was repeated over and over. That lie and that complicity, she said, led to an attack on law enforcement officers at the Capitol on January 6th.
“It’s interesting to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle support the police when it’s politically convenient to do so, but not when police officers who protect us every day here at the Capitol were fighting for their lives because of the Big Lie,” Demings said in a tweet.