Democratic rep’s campaign forwarded a quote from Thomas Jefferson to ‘take arms’ against rulers
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., suggested people could take up arms against President Donald Trump. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi suggested at a town hall that President Donald Trump’s opponents could take up arms against the president.
The New York Democrat was speaking at an event in Huntington, New York, last week and said it was important to put pressure on the president, in a video obtained by the New York Post.
“This is where the Second Amendment comes in, quite frankly,” Suozzi said. “Because you know, what if the president was to ignore the courts? What would you do? What would we do?”
In response, someone in the audience asked what the Second Amendment entails.
“The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms,” he said.
National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Chris Martin said the video was “incredibly disturbing.”
“It’s surreal to watch a sitting member of Congress suggest that his constituents should take up arms against the President of the United States,” Martin said.
Suozzi’s campaign forwarded a line from Thomas Jefferson on the “spirit of resistance.”
“What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms,” the quote reads.
But his adviser Kim Devlin denied he was advocating for armed insurrection.
“Taking a page from such great Americans as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, Congressman Suozzi explained why our founding fathers created the 2nd Amendment as a way for citizens to fight back against a tyrannical government that does not follow the rule of law,” he said. “To suggest his comments meant anything else or that he was advocating for an armed insurrection against the existing president is both irresponsible and ridiculous.”
Suozzi’s remarks bear a resemblance to former Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle’s comment in 2010 that people should look to “Second Amendment remedies” if Congress continued to misbehave.
Similarly, in the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said if his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton nominated a Supreme Court justice, there would be nothing gun rights advocates could do.
“Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know,” he said at the time.
Poster Comment:
At least one person in DC understands the purpose of the 2nd amendment. The framers foresaw the possibility of someone like Trump getting elected, and insisted on a Bill Of Rights that included the RKBA.
#1: VxH To: hondo68 (#0)
And the 2nd amendment's primary purpose is to protect the 1st....
When ERRORs get sufficiently contradicted - Poodle (D)ogs don't get reelected.
VxH posted on 2018-03-19 19:10:16 Reply Private Reply
#2: buckeroo To: hondo68 (#0)
buckeroo posted on 2018-03-19 19:10:31 Reply Private Reply
#3: sneakypete To: hondo68 (#0)
sneakypete posted on 2018-03-19 19:33:38 Reply Private Reply
#4: Hondo68 To: buckeroo (#2)
7% as of '16. The NRA loves the gun grabbing Republicans, like Amnesty Don, McCain, Romney, and Jeb!.
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-19 19:34:32 Reply Private Reply
#5: Jameson To: VxH (#1)
DD45 won't even be in the WH in 2020.....
Jameson posted on 2018-03-19 19:35:26 Reply Private Reply
#6: VxH To: Jameson (#5)
That won't stop him from whipping the foam finger brigade into a frenzy and precluding an actual conservative from running on the (R) side of the dialectic sheeple fest.
VxH posted on 2018-03-19 19:47:04 Reply Private Reply
#7: Hondo68 To: sneakypete (#3)
Hondo68 posted on 2018-03-19 20:06:21 Reply Private Reply
#8: A K A Stone To: hondo68 (#0)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-03-19 20:52:10 Reply Private Reply
#9: Jameson To: VxH (#6)
That's your problem to solve.
Jameson posted on 2018-03-19 21:06:21 Reply Private Reply
#10: Fred Mertz To: Jameson (#9)
Fred Mertz posted on 2018-03-19 21:12:27 Reply Private Reply
#11: sneakypete To: VxH (#6)
Ok,bubba,put a name on your "Actual Conservative".
sneakypete posted on 2018-03-19 21:55:37 Reply Private Reply
#12: VxH To: sneakypete (#11)
How'bout the kind that isn't a "pussy grabbing" (alleged) adulterer - pulled out of the arse of a FB collective data grab?
That ought'a whittle the list down.
Trey Gowdy comes to mind - along with Ron Paul and Ben Carson.
Folks who seem to have (and personify) the silly idea that character and honor and TRUTH, matter.
VxH posted on 2018-03-19 22:40:52 Reply Private Reply
#13: VxH To: Jameson (#9)
I think the founders sorta figured it would be OUR problem to fill in the blank - in a government Of the People, By the People, and For the People.
YMMV!
VxH posted on 2018-03-19 22:48:31 Reply Private Reply
#14: sneakypete To: VxH (#12)
You mean like the dick-grabber,Boy Jorge?
Trey Gowdy comes to mind - along with Ron Paul and Ben Carson.
Trey Gowdy might be a possibility,but Ron Paul and Ben Carson are proven losers.
Folks who seem to have (and personify) the silly idea that character and honor and TRUTH, matter.
Grow the bleep up! We are talking about possible Presidents,not Boy Scout Leaders.
sneakypete posted on 2018-03-19 23:04:10 Reply Private Reply
#15: VxH To: sneakypete (#14)
Yeah well. Maybe the Green Dragon should rise again and put the needle back on the compass.
Compass, Broken; 1 each.
Once upon a time this was a useful instrument for pointing the direction a boy should go.
Today, not so much - as the needle has fallen off and rendered the tool into a directionally errant piece of plastic memorabilia.
VxH posted on 2018-03-19 23:37:25 Reply Private Reply
#16: paraclete To: hondo68 (#0)
paraclete posted on 2018-03-20 03:44:03 Reply Private Reply
#17: Jameson To: Fred Mertz (#10)
The way he's throwing around the F-word, I'm guessing Four Loko
Jameson posted on 2018-03-20 07:27:03 Reply Private Reply