Dem senator: Both parties must discourage ‘aggressive advocacy’

Delaware Sen. Christopher Coons (D) took aim at members of his own party as well as Republicans when asked which groups deserve blame for America’s current political climate.

Coons told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that both parties should reexamine their rhetoric following the attempted bombings of several prominent Democrats as well as the mass shooting Saturday inside a Pittsburgh synagogue.

{mosads}The Delaware senator pointed to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and her call for protesters to confront members of the Trump administration over policies such as the administration’s controversial migrant family separation plan.

“Look, when Congresswoman Maxine Waters encourage folks, protesters, advocates in my party, to continue this practice of harassing, of confronting folks from the other party, I spoke out against it,” Coons told CBS.

“Many people in my party did,” he added. “I think it’s important that people who are in leadership nationally who are well known discourage that kind of aggressive advocacy.”

Waters famously called for members of the public to confront individuals in President Trump’s Cabinet earlier this year, telling supporters at a rally to “absolutely harass them” over the Trump administration’s migrant family separation policy.

Coons’s comments followed criticism from CNN President Jeff Zucker aimed at the White House urging the president and his staff to take greater care with their words following a series of pipe bombs that were sent to multiple Democrats. One package addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan was sent to CNN’s headquarters in Manhattan. Brennan is an MSNBC contributor.

“Their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that,” Zucker said Wednesday.

Waters herself was targeted by two suspicious packages this week that reportedly contained pipe bombs, amid other attacks targeting top Democrats around the country, including the Obamas, Clintons and former Attorney General Eric Holder.

“I ain’t scared,” Waters said after the attacks in an interview, adding: “We have to keep to doing what we’re doing in order to make this country right; that’s what I intend to do.”