MAGA Fascists Threaten to Kill, Burn, Rape Officials Who Resist the “Overturn” Campaign

December 21, 2020 | revcom.us

 

A key part of the gathering fascist momentum has been threats of violence—sometimes anonymous, sometimes “delivered” by armed mobs—against election officials and others, of either party, who reject Trump’s drive to overturn the election. Below is just a sampling of those threats that have been reported in the news media.

Michigan, November 11: A Wayne County Board of Canvassers Zoom meeting is interrupted by a self-proclaimed Trump supporter who threatens to rape the mothers of the county’s four canvassers.

Georgia, November 16: The top election official, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in the midst of a hand recount of votes that Trump insisted on, reports that he and his wife have been receiving death threats, including text messages like this: “You better not botch this recount. Your life depends on it.”

Arizona, November 18: Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs reports that she has been receiving “ongoing and escalating” threats of violence, such as this message posted on the fascist social media site Parler: “Let’s burn her house down and kill her family and teach these fraudsters a lesson.” Also posted on Parler were her home address and her son’s cellphone number. A MAGA mob showed up at her home chanting, “We are watching you.”

NewsMax TV, November 30: Trump attorney Joe DiGenova says that Chris Krebs—the official who Trump had put in charge of election security, but then fired when he publicly stated that the election had been free of fraud—”should be drawn and quartered. Taken out at dawn and shot.” DiGenova made the comment on a right-wing radio talk show that is simulcast on NewsMax.

Georgia, December 1: Republican election official Gabriel Sterling calls out GOP for failing to condemn the mounting threats against even low-level employees, citing one young technician who had received an animated image of a noose.

Internet, Early December: An “enemies” list of government officials who contradict Trump’s election conspiracy theories emerged on the internet, with home addresses listed and red targets over their photos. The list media included the hashtags “#remembertheirfaces” and “#NoQuarterForTraitors.” Georgia’s deputy secretary of state pointed out that after the list surfaced “Trump and U.S. senators have refused to condemn these death threats.”

Nevada, December 2: Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske’s office reports receiving “threatening communications,” including a voicemail message: “You guys are fucking dead.”

December 3, Nationwide: The New York Times reports on a wide variety of threats received by officials and private citizens, many of whom are afraid to even say what state they are in for fear of drawing more attacks. The head of a nonprofit that promotes mail-in voting said she received a tweet with a noose pictured and the message “You’re a traitor to the American people.” The “chief election official of one Western state, who refuses to be named for fear of drawing even more threats” said he had received at least 10 such messages, including some depicting actual lynchings, and messages like “we’re going to come for you.”

Michigan, December 5: Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was about to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas with her four-year-old son when her home was surrounded by a MAGA mob, some of them armed, chanting “Stop the Steal” and shouting obscenities.

Michigan, December 6: Black Democratic State Representative Cynthia Johnson received voice mails threatening her with lynching, after she raised critical questions at hearings in which Republicans falsely alleged widespread voter fraud. One message said: “Your time is coming ...from the (expletive) gallows you’ll be hanging.”

Twitter, December 13: Trump tweets that any official who certifies the votes in any of the states Trump is contesting is “committing a severely punishable crime.”

Michigan, Arizona, December 14: As electors in Michigan met to cast their votes for Biden and Harris, the State Capitol was closed to all other business due to “recommendations from law enforcement” and “credible threats of violence.” In Arizona, the electors met at an undisclosed location because of, according to the secretary of state, “accusations of misconduct and fraud for which no proof has been provided and which court after court has dismissed as unfounded.”