Right-leaning radio host and former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh (Ill.) warned Republicans on Friday that President Trump’s remarks Thursday about Montana Rep. Joe Walsh (R) prohibit the right from complaining about violence from left-wing groups.
Walsh tweeted Friday morning that Trump “encourages & applauds physical violence” after the president appeared to praise Rep. Greg Gianforte’s (R) body-slam of a reporter during the 2017 Montana special election at his campaign rally Thursday night.
{mosads}”The President encourages & applauds physical violence against a journalist,” Walsh tweeted.
“Hey Republicans, don’t ever complain again about violence coming from the Left,” he added.
Walsh is a former one-term congressman who now broadcasts daily on Salem radio and is frequently critical of the president.
He made similar comments Thursday night on Twitter immediately following the president’s rally, during which he joked that Gianforte’s assault of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs probably “help[ed]” the Montana Republican win his election.
“Trump encourages & applauds physical violence against journalists. Trump’s supporters? ‘Hilarious, awesome, I love my President!’ Maxine Waters encourages & applauds confrontation against Republicans. Trump’s supporters? ‘Horrible, dangerous, the Left is a mob!’ [Shaking my head],” Walsh tweeted Thursday night.
The president’s comments Thursday were roundly criticized by journalists on social media, and on Friday they drew the ire of British Prime Minister Theresa May due to The Guardian’s status as a British-based newspaper.
“He obviously made comments at a political rally and those are for him but more generally we would always say that violence or intimidation against a journalist is completely unacceptable,” a spokesperson for the prime minister said on Friday.