Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) attributed increasing political violence to former President Donald Trump after an armed man was arrested outside her home last week.
The suspect arrested outside Jayapal’s Seattle home last week had allegedly been stalking the congresswoman for months. He also allegedly made threats against her life, yelling during last week’s incident for the congresswoman to “go back to India.”
Jayapal was asked about the incident and other recent cases of political violence on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.”
“The person that occupied the White House, the highest office in the land, actually used and unleashed and mobilized all of that violence and white supremacy using the tools of the federal government,” she said.
According to Jayapal, the suspect, Brett Forsell, was arrested with a loaded semi-automatic.
“It is not a coincidence that he targeted a prominent woman of color who has been on the front lines of fighting for a just and equitable society, and has been fighting against white supremacy and racism.”
Jayapal said Trump had fostered such anger and violence “using bans on Muslims, bans on trans folks, calling out people to be racist, working with the most racist, white supremacist, violent extremist groups, including the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, and then of course using lies and misinformation, disinformation, to try to steal an election and stage a coup.”
Forsell’s weapons were seized through an Extreme Risk Protection Order, but he was released Wednesday before charges were filed.
Jayapal said she believed that prosecutors would still be able to charge the suspect for stalking and harassment.
She added that video and audio footage of the incident reveals “incredible anger and hatred” from her alleged stalker. His threats, she said, “were racist, they were sexist, they were xenophobic.”
“This was not about a particular vote… This man wanted to intimidate me, he wanted to threaten me, he wanted to harm me,” she said, adding it would be “a terrible, terrible sign” for elected officials if prosecutors aren’t able to charge Forsell.