Rep. Angie Craig has received a deluge of politically violent and vulgar messages following her attack in her Washington, D.C., apartment building, messages her office says came after a Fox News segment criticizing Democrats for their policing policies.
Audio released by Craig's office includes vulgar and violent messages, including, "I hope the f*****s get you again," and, "I am so glad that you were attacked." Craig's office released eight examples, with audio, of the messages she has received. They're reporting the messages to U.S. Capitol Police.
Threats against members of Congress have become increasingly common in recent years, soaring to nearly 10,000 a year after Jan. 6, 2021, a serious concern to members of Congress, their staffs and U.S. Capitol Police.
The Minnesota Democrat was assaulted in the elevator of her D.C. apartment building earlier this month, and the suspect, a repeat offender, has been arrested on a simple assault charge. Craig has called for a crackdown on repeat offenders since she was attacked.
Craig's office identified a Fox News "The Five" segment that criticized the congresswoman, and it said included opposition research from the National Republican Congressional Committee, or NRCC. Craig's office noted her support for the police and police funding.
"If you want to defund the police, we'll notify 9-1-1," said Fox News' Jeanine Pirro on Wednesday's show, in a quote highlighted by Craig's office. "Whenever you call them, you don't get the police … That's what they want, that's what they should get. But now that the Congresswoman has been victimized, now she feels your pain? Nonsense. And for those who say 'at least now she's on our side' – baloney … You've done your damage, stick with it. Defund the police as it relates to you."
Craig, however, opposed efforts to defund the police in Minneapolis, calling them "shortsighted" and "misguided."
CBS News has reached out to Fox News for comment. The NRCC Friday reiterated its stance on Craig in a statement Friday.
"No one condones violence against elected officials," NRCC National Press Secretary Will Reinert said. "But Angie Craig cannot dispute she is closely associated with defund the police extremists and voted with Ilhan Omar 93 percent of the time."
One of the messages Craig received, according to audio released by her office, said, "I'm listening to your story on 'The Five.' So, you got attacked, huh? In Minnesota? Well that's what you get for turning that what, five or six time felon, crack-smoking, fentanyl-eating, counterfeit money-passing, armed robber holding guns on fetusus, n****r (George) Floyd as a public hero." The caller went on to obscenely express the desire to see Craig violently sexually assaulted and called her a "despicable b****."
Another caller cited a Fox News article with the headline, "Democratic lawmaker ties to defund the police calls for a crackdown on crime," calling Craig a "hypocrite."
"Mother f****r you should have got f****** attacked," yet another recording says. "You deserved it, you piece of s*** and tells Craig "you deserve what you got" and berates her for going "crying" to police, whom the caller alleged she had tried to "destroy."
Craig's communications director, Laura Cottrell, said "harassing the victim of a violent crime on national television is abhorrent behavior."
"The messages and threats received by Rep. Craig's office following the NRCC hit job and Fox News' false and inflammatory coverage of her assault represent the worst of our society," Cottrell said. "We are sharing these difficult messages to help everyone understand the impact of this careless rhetoric and what happens after these reckless political attacks. It's dangerous. It's gutter politics at its worst."
Kendrid Hamlin, the defendant in the attack against Craig, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Washington, D.C., Friday afternoon.
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