NEW YORK (AP) — In the past week, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar tweeted a video showing a character with his face killing a figure with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s face. Several House Republicans who backed a bipartisan infrastructure bill said they faced threats after their vote. In one voicemail, a caller labeled Rep. Fred Upton a “traitor” and wished death for the Michigan Republican, his family and staff. The response from Republican leaders? Silence. Less than a year after former President Donald Trump’s supporters staged a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the GOP’s refusal to condemn disturbing rhetoric and behavior suggests an unsettling shift. One of the nation’s two major political parties appears increasingly open to some persistent level of violence in discourse.
GOP leaders say little to condemn violent political rhetoric
