Investigative Group

Eight Violent Attacks On Republicans Just This Year

US_Capitol_east_side | Circa September 2013 | Martin Falbisoner [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Republican politicians, their staffers and the offices where they work have become a recurring target for political violence.

Here are eight times just this year that Republicans faced such attacks.

Switchblade stabbing attempt

California congressional candidate Rudy Peters, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, narrowly escaped a stabbing attempt in September. Peters’ attacker, Farzad Fazeli, shouted disparaging remarks about Republicans before attempting to stab the GOP candidate with a switchblade, police said.

Male Democratic operative allegedly assaults female Trump staffer

An operative with Democratic political group American Bridge was arrested in March for assaulting a female staffer in President Donald Trump’s administration. The liberal operative allegedly shoved the woman, a press secretary for Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, to the floor as he chased after Zinke.

Same male Democratic operative allegedly assaults female GOP campaign manager 

That same American Bridge operative, Wilfred Stark, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly chasing and assaulting Nevada gubernatorial nominee Adam Laxalt’s campaign manager. Stark was charged with battery for the attack, which left the woman bruised, as well as “terrified and traumatized.”

Wyoming GOP office set on fire 

A Republican Party office in Laramie, Wyoming, was set on fire just days after opening in September. Police said the fire appeared to have been intentional, though they have not yet arrested any suspects.

Vandals throw brick through window of Nebraska GOP office

Vandals in July threw a brick through the window of the Nebraska Republican Party’s headquarters. Republican staffers found a spray-painted message beneath the broken window: “ABOLISH ICE.”

Minnesota state GOP candidate says she was chased by property-destroying anarchist

Minnesota state Rep. Sarah Anderson said she was attacked on Sunday after calling out a man who has kicking over campaign yard signs. “I said, ‘You can’t do this!’ And he said, ‘Yes, I can, I’m an anarchist! I can do whatever I want!’ And I said, ‘No, you can’t, that’s not your property,'” Anderson said, adding that the man chased her into the street and told her to kill herself.

Minnesota state GOP candidate says he was assaulted, concussed by politically motivated assailant

Another Minnesota Republican, state Rep. Shane Mekeland, said he received a concussion on Oct. 12 when he was assaulted by a man he believed was politically motivated. “While I had never met my assailant, the words he yelled at me before he attacked lead me to believe his actions were politically motivated,” Mekeland said in a statement Sunday, adding that the police are investigating.

Windows of New York GOP office smashed, warning left

Vandals in New York smashed the windows of the Metropolitan Republican Club on Oct. 11 and left graffiti warnings. The perpetrators left behind anarchist graffiti and a warning: “Our attack is merely a beginning.”

The above listed physical attacks are in addition to an onslaught of harassment and death threats that Republican politicians and their staffers have faced in the Trump era.

Three Republican senators were doxxed by a House Democratic staffer during the Sept. 27 confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and other prominent Republicans have been harassed and chased out of restaurants.

WATCH:

BREAKING. Activists just chased @TedCruz out of a fancy Washington DC restaurant, chanting “We Believe Survivors!”

Cruz has been friends with creep Kavanaugh for 20 years. Now Cruz is on judiciary committee hearing his testimony.

Fascists not welcome! #CancelKavanugh pic.twitter.com/7mx6Tc32za

— Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

The home addresses and other personal information of Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch of Utah were posted to Wikipedia shortly after each spoke at the hearing.

Republican Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner’s family was also doxxed and someone sent Gardner’s wife a graphic video of a beheading.

Some Democratic figures have faced death threats this year as well.

California Rep. Maxine Waters, a Democrat, cancelled events in June after she received death threats.

A Florida man was charged earlier this month for threatening to shoot members of Congress who voted against Kavanaugh.

It’s been roughly 16 months since a supporter of Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont attempted a mass assassination of Republican congressmen.

Follow Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson