(Headline USA) Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., was accused this week of threatening one of his Democratic colleagues over the latter’s support for Israel.
Carson’s threat came in a wild rant about Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., a Jewish member of Congress who has been vocally support of Israel in its war against Hamas. Gottheimer has also been critical of his leftist colleagues in the “Squad,” who most recently voted against a House resolution condemning Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack.
“Last night, 15 of my Democratic colleagues voted AGAINST standing with our ally Israel and condemning Hamas terrorists who brutally murdered, raped, and kidnapped babies, children, men, women, and elderly, including Americans,” Gottheimer wrote in a post last week. “They are despicable and do not speak for our party.”
Last night, 15 of my Democratic colleagues voted AGAINST standing with our ally Israel and condemning Hamas terrorists who brutally murdered, raped, and kidnapped babies, children, men, women, and elderly, including Americans.
They are despicable and do not speak for our party.
— Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) October 26, 2023
In response, Carson told CNN that Gottheimer is “cowardly” and seemed to suggest that he would be willing to fight him, Mediaite reported.
“I think he’s shown himself to be very emotional,” Carson said.
“Like most cowardly people, when you confront them, they’re afraid,” he continued. “I’m unafraid of the guy. And if he wants to call us despicable, I’m saying he’s a coward and he’s a punk. If he wants to play some kind of tough guy or gangster, we can handle it like gentlemen, or we can get into something else.”
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who is also a Democrat, blasted Carson for trying to “intimidate” Gottheimer and other Jewish members of Congress.
“It’s inexcusable for any member of Congress to threaten a colleague, & especially egregious that @RepAndreCarson is threatening a Jewish member for speaking out at a moment when we’re seeing a massive spike in antisemitism,” Greenblatt tweeted.
It's inexcusable for any member of Congress to threaten a colleague, & especially egregious that @RepAndreCarson is threatening a Jewish member for speaking out at a moment when we're seeing a massive spike in antisemitism. What's the point? Does he think it’s productive to… https://t.co/mZYNeCNHYN
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) October 29, 2023
Ten House Democrats voted against the House resolution condemning Hamas’s attacks, while another six voted “present.”
The 10 voted against the resolution include: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.; Summer Lee, D-Pa.; Cori Bush, D-Mo.; André Carson, D-Ind.; Al Green, D-Texas, and Delia Ramirez, D-Ill.
