Rep. Louie Gohmert\u00a0(R-Texas) issued a statement Saturday backpedaling on his controversial comments indicating that street violence is the only recourse in the wake of his lawsuit loss to overturn the results of the democratic presidential election.<\/p>\n
Gohmert made the remarks about violence Friday on the\u00a0far-right news channel Newsmax.\u00a0He spoke after U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle shot down his court case that argued Vice President Mike Pence has the power to unilaterally reappoint Donald Trump as president by selectively choosing the electoral votes he\u2019ll recognize, and replacing the others with votes for Trump.<\/p>\n
The judge ruled Gohmert had no standing to sue.<\/p>\n
\u201cBottom line is, the court is saying, \u2018We\u2019re not going to touch this, you have no remedy,\u2019\u201d said Gohmert. \u201cBasically, in effect, the ruling would be that you got to go to the streets and be as violent as antifa and BLM [Black Lives Matter].\u201d<\/p>\n
After getting roundly slammed for the comments Saturday, Gohmert tweeted: \u201cI have not encouraged and unequivocally do not advocate for violence.\u201d He insisted he supported the \u201cexample of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. of peaceful protest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gohmert\u2019s post flatly contradicted his statement on Newsmax, which he still had up on his Twitter account as of Saturday night.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also inconsistent with Gohmert\u2019s previous comments. At a MAGA march near the White House in November, the Texas congressman urged Trump supporters\u00a0to consider \u201crevolution\u201d\u00a0like the American Revolution and the Egyptian uprising seven years ago to overturn the results of the U.S. presidential election.\u00a0\u201cThis was a cheated election and we can\u2019t let it stand,\u201d Gohmert railed.<\/p>\n
Gohmert\u2019s Newsmax comments about street violence come at a particularly dangerous time. Republican representatives and senators are maneuvering to challenge the presidential election results on Jan. 6 amid a planned \u201cWild Protest\u201d that day featuring the white nationalist Proud Boys,\u00a0linked to several stabbings at the last protest, and other right-wing groups. Extremist chat forums and other online posts indicate the protesters are \u201cworkshopping ways to smuggle guns\u201d into the District of Columbia, The Washington Post has reported.<\/p>\n
Trump has repeatedly encouraged his supporters to turn out for the protest, promising it will \u201cbe wild.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gohmert\u2019s comments followed a Friday rant by Trump ally L. Lin Wood that argued Pence should be executed for treason by firing squad for denying Trump a second term.<\/p>\n
Democratic Party attorney Mark Elias said Saturday that Gohmert\u2019s Newsmax comments should trigger an ethics investigation and sanctions.<\/p>\n
Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers\u2019 Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, lashed Gohmert\u2019s \u201cbrazen call\u201d for street violence after his \u201cbizarre\u201d case was rejected.<\/p>\n
Gohmert\u2019s attempted walk back wasn\u2019t any more popular:<\/p>\n
Gohmert has appealed Kernodle\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
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