HED: Rep. Pramila Jayapal links rising threats against lawmakers to GOP rhetoric

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) made public a series of threatening voicemails she’s been receiving from Trump supporters in order to show “what’s at stake” for American democracy. Jayapal, who was among a group of lawmakers trapped inside the Capitol on January 6, warns that the nature of political threats has changed in the last four to five years. “There is a sense that everything is so unfair and it’s been propelled by Donald Trump. The only recourse is to violence, and that is an extremely dangerous thing,” she said on ‘Velshi.’ She pointed to Sen. Lindsay Graham’s recent threat of ”riots in the streets” should the Department of Justice move to prosecute Trump for removing classified information– comments which sparked widespread condemnation and prompted the Washington Post editorial board to label them as “dangerous” and “cause for the greatest concern.” Jayapal said Graham’s comments reflect a common pattern. “When you are being threatened with justice that you call for riots or violence. That is what led to January 6.”