GOP senator says political rhetoric ‘out of control’

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a witness to last week’s shooting that left House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) with life-threatening wounds and four other injured, said political rhetoric in the country is “out of control.”

Flake said both parties had a responsibility to try to lower the tone of political rhetoric as a way of preventing verbal barbs from evolving toward actual violence.

Sen. @JeffFlake: We’ve got to stop the fiery political rhetoric on both sides, all sides. It’s out of control. pic.twitter.com/mGpyEyNriE

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) June 19, 2017

Flake said that when people read that kind of language on social media, it can be “easier to do something like this.”

He called on lawmakers to be better examples for their constituents in their language.

{mosads}”It does start with us. It will filter down,” Flake said. “We just need to model better behavior. We do too much on both sides, and I include myself in that.”

Violence in political language has become more prevalent in the days since the shooting, with figures like Ted Nugent saying they will no longer reference violence in their own words.