Supporters of former President Donald Trump are openly calling for violence against members of the January 6 committee and former Vice President Mike Pence.
In messages circulating on the same fringe platforms inhabited by far-right communities that helped fuel the lies that led to the insurrection.
Users are calling for the execution of Republican Reps. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, and Adam Kinzinger, of Chicago, as well as the hanging of Mike Pence, CNN reports.
Former Department of Homeland Security Counterterrorism Coordinator John Cohen told the news network that while detecting an active threat is a challenge for law enforcement, authorities cannot treat social media posts with concerning language as simply hyperbole.
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“We’re in a highly volatile and complex threat period,” Cohen said, adding that the monitoring of social media as a “resource intensive process that has to involve federal, state and local authorities who are working together, who are operating under strict protocols that ensure that they are able to distinguish between constitutionally protected speech and threat-related activity.”
Several posts on Trump’s social platform Truth Social are calling for the execution of January 6 committee members and others.
One post includes a picture of a noose and reads, “The J6 committee are guilty of treason. Perpetuation of a insurrection hang them all.”
On another post referencing Cheney and Pelosi, a user posted a GIF of a guillotine with the message, “#MGGA #MakeGuillotinesGreatAgain.”
The online threats appear to come from people who falsely believe the 2020 election was stolen, said Daniel J. Jones, the president of Advance Democracy.
“It’s clear that the lies and actions taken by Trump, and those lawmakers that support him, continue to pose a serious threat to our democracy and the peaceful transition of power,” he said.
