Democrats halt GOP effort to censure Rep. Maxine Waters for comments about Derek Chauvin trial
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WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Tuesday blocked an effort to censure Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., for telling protesters in Minnesota to get more "confrontational" if a jury finds former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin not guilty in the death of George Floyd.
The House voted 216-210 along party lines to table a Republican motion to censure the California Democrat.
Asked what activists should do in the case of an acquittal in the Chauvin trial, Waters said Saturday: “Well, we’ve got to stay on the street. And we’ve got to get more active," adding, “We’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.”
The comments ignited conservatives, who said her words were calls for violence.
"Maxine Waters believes there is value in violence," said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who said Waters' past comments calling for protesters to be confrontational to Trump administration officials showed a "pattern" that "needs action" from lawmakers.
Democrats had been dismissive of the effort, pointing out that a majority of House Republicans supported efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
"Lauren Boebert is a mess. Matt Gaetz is a mess. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a mess. Clean up your mess, Kevin. Sit this one out. You've got no credibility here. We support peaceful protests," House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Tuesday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., defended Waters, noting that her comments did not specify any violent actions.
"Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement," Pelosi said. "I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. They've handled this with great dignity and no ambiguity or lack of misinterpretation by the other side. No, I don't think she should apologize."
Follow Matthew Brown online @mrbrownsir.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House halts GOP effort to censure Maxine Waters for Chauvin comments
