WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Rep. Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), has condemned a death threat made against Rep. Pramila Jayapal by an Arizona state legislator. The threat has sparked widespread concern over political violence in the United States.
The controversy began when Arizona Republican State Representative John Gillette posted on X that Rep. Jayapal should be “tried, convicted, and hanged” for allegedly advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government. Gillette’s comment was made in response to a video clip of Jayapal discussing peaceful protests against the MAGA agenda. The video explicitly calls for non-violent demonstrations and warns against political violence.
Gillette, a retired Army Reserve command sergeant major from Mohave County, has a history of controversial statements. He previously defended the January 6 Capitol rioters as “political prisoners” and has made derogatory remarks about Muslims.
Rep. Grace Meng issued a statement condemning Gillette’s remarks. She called the death threat “dangerous and completely unacceptable,” emphasizing that “our nation’s leaders must categorically reject violence in all its forms”.
As of now, Rep. Gillette has not publicly addressed the backlash or clarified his comments.
