Rep. Angie Craig says attack showed ‘intersection’ of mental health, homelessness

Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who was attacked in an elevator last month, said that the incident demonstrated the “intersection” of mental health and homelessness, not political motivation.

“It’s such an intersection right of homelessness and mental illness and addiction and public safety,” Craig told “The Politico Show,” speaking of the attack.

Craig was attacked in the elevator of her apartment building on Feb. 9 by a 26-year-old man who punched her in the chin and grabbed her neck. Craig was able to defend herself by throwing hot coffee on the attacker, who then fled the scene before being arrested over the assault later that day.

Her office said that the attack did not seem to be politically motivated.

Craig’s office criticized Fox News after the lawmaker said she received vulgar and threatening messages following the incident. Some of the messages mentioned a segment on “The Five,” where co-host Geraldo Rivera said Craig was “very brave, heroic, almost,” before adding that some critics had connected the lawmaker to the defund the police movement. 

In response to that segment, Craig’s office reiterated that she was not supportive of defunding the police. She told Politico that she is focused on finding a “balance” for social justice initiatives in the wake of the attack.

“I think there’s a lot that we ignore as a country or that we revert to our either progressive or conservative talking points and there’s got to be some progress in the middle that might save one life,” she told Politico.