Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) is in a battle for his political survival right now – one of the most endangered House incumbents, with a challenge from his even more-extreme right wing (by Liberty University’s Bob Good), and with a drive-through VA05 GOP caucus at a church in just 10 days. So maybe that helps explain the following comments.
But then again, Riggleman has been saying and doing inflammatory, idiotic things since he first ran for office in 2018. For instance, check this out, in which he says he doesn’t believe healthcare is a basic human right; that, in the context of an incoherent rant about the climate crisis, he stated that he doesn’t think science should “become a religion” (huh?); he said he opposes net neutrality; and on campus sexual assault, he opined that that “I think a lot of it comes to educating females specifically in the fraternities and sororities.” Ee gads, how do nuts like this get elected?!?
Still, you’d think that maybe, just maybe, Riggleman *might* be able to rise to the occasion of the horrible murder of George Floyd, the explosion of pain and anger around the country, and of course the leader of his own party (Trump)’s appalling rhetoric and behavior.
But…nope, no such luck. Instead, we get the following, drooling idiocy from Riggleman, for which he’s getting rightfully hammered on his own Facebook page. Check it out, as well as the audio (see below) from his WRVA appearance (in which, among other things, he rants about “domestic terrorism” and appears to condone Trump sending in the National Guard without being asked or being given permission by governors) and a few of the top-rated comments from his Facebook page.
- “This comment sounds an awful lot like “some people did some things.” Say what it was, Mr. Riggleman. Mr. Floyd was the latest person of color murdered by police for no reason. And Mr. Trump has the nerve to talk about 2nd Amendment rights. What about 1st Amendment rights. If any one of those protesters had been spotted with a gun, I have no doubt they would have used far worse than tear gas and rubber bullets.”
- “Handled properly? Three murderers are still walking free!”
- “What are you doing to stop violence against citizens from police? Priorities.”
- “Speaking of ‘visit[ing] violence on innocent people,’ you might want to remind your party leader about not gassing innocent people for a photo op. Even Fox News is having a hard time spinning that as appropriate.”
- “Well well well,Twitter took down a well organized, white nationalist account pretending to be an Antifa account inciting violence and chaos at the protests.”
- “Please comment on the white nationalists organized ties to the recent violence and chaos.”
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