Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton has been receiving violent death threats after he appeared on CNN to criticize President Donald Trump’s response to political violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death.
“I’m happy to stand here as a Democrat and absolutely condemn the violence on the left. I have no hesitation in doing so. But people like Warren Davidson and Donald Trump need to condemn the violence on the right as well,” Rep. Moulton said during his Sept. 11 CNN appearance.
He continued, “Not lower the flag across the nation for conservative activist Charlie Kirk but refuse to lower the flag when a Minnesota lawmaker was murdered in her home, refuse to go to the funeral, refuse to acknowledge it.”
Moulton also pointed to statistics that say the majority of extremist violent murders are perpetrated by right wing extremists.
“Let’s be serious about where this violence is coming from. Of extremist violent murders in America, 76% are from right wing extremists, 4% are from left wing extremists. I condemn that 4%, but we also need to be honest as a nation about where this violence is coming from,” he said.
Less than 24 hours after his interview, Moulton’s office started receiving violent and graphic threats directed toward him, his family, and his staff. Moulton then took to social media on Sept. 12 to share the messages that he received both online and over the phone.
“I pray to God some big ol’ MAGA boy blows your motherf–ing brains out. You know we have most of the guns, and you won’t find very many Democrats at the shooting range. We know what we’re doing, and we can eliminate (expletive) like you no problem,” one person said over voicemail.
The message continued, “I would spend the rest of my (expletive) life in federal prison to make America great again by eliminating somebody like you. I pray for your violent, bloody, anguishing death. I pray your family is (expletive) by illegal aliens you coddle.”
Another person left a voicemail that said: “Maybe we will have another shooter in this country somewhere. Whether that be in Salem, Massachusetts, or Washington. They will put a bullet in his head. Maybe his wife will get shot in the head. Or maybe one of his kids.”
“If only someone wanted to shoot you in the throat. I wonder what would happen to those kids,” one person wrote on social media.
“You are a coward and a piece of (expletive). I hope your daughters go thru what Charlie’s daughters are,” another commented.
Moulton spoke to NBC 10 Boston on Sept. 13 to respond to the graphic messages.
“On a very personal level, I have two little kids. When you see those posts, or if you go online and listen to the voicemails that (I) receive(d) not just threatening me, but threatening my little girls, that’s literally my greatest fear,” he said.
He added, “My greatest fear for America is that we just descend into more chaos. That this becomes a tit for tat. Unfortunately, that’s what you’ve heard some republicans say. ‘This is war; we’re gonna get you back,’ that kind of retribution talk. We need to recognize that we ought to be able to disagree peacefully, fundamental to our democracy, if we’re going to move forward.”
