Following the release of an Attack on Titan edit that depicted Rep. Gosar attacking his political adversaries, the House of Representatives censured the Congressman.
Paul Gosar, a Republican who represents Arizona in the House of Representatives, has been officially censured following the release of an edited Attack on Titan video in which he appears to be attacking or killing several prominent Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vice President Joe Biden.
According to CNN, Gosar was censured by the House of Representatives after a lengthy debate. The video was first uploaded by the Arizona Representative on Twitter and Instagram on November 7, according to the representative. Using edited clips from the Attack on Titan anime, the video shows the faces of Gosar and several other prominent far-right conservatives superimposed over the bodies of the series’ heroes as they swing through a city and kill several of the franchise’s titular monsters, who have been edited to include the likenesses of AOC and the President, among other prominent conservatives. Following the uproar, Gosar later removed the video from his website.
Gosar is the 24th House congressman to be censured in the history of the United States Congress. A former Representative from New York named Charlie Rangel was the last member of the House to be censured. He was censured in 2010 for tax and fund-raising breaches. In and of itself, the censure is a largely symbolic punishment; but, the resolution also removes Gosar from all committee assignments, including his positions on the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Natural Resources, which are both key posts. Marjorie Taylor Greene was removed from her committees earlier this year, also due to her apparent endorsements of violence against her political opponents. Gosar is the second Republican to be removed from committee duties in recent months, as the House removed Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committees earlier this year.
Although a number of prominent Democrats, including AOC herself, have called for Gosar’s complete removal from Congress, they have settled for the resolution of censure instead. A legislator from New York State’s House of Representatives stated that “threatening the life of a colleague is grounds for expulsion.” “The Republican Party, particularly its leader, is, however, far too cowardly to impose any meaningful standards of conduct on members. … censure and expulsion from the committee are the next most appropriate steps.” She expressed her dissatisfaction with the behaviour of other members of Congress during the debate over the resolution, saying, “I am extremely frustrated with their behaviour.” “What I believe to be unprecedented is the inability of a member of House leadership from either party to condemn incitement to violence against a member of this body… What is it about stating that something is incorrect that is so difficult? Republicans are essentially utilising a national platform to justify threats of violence at the state and local levels, with the goal of discouraging people from participating in our democratic processes. This, I feel, is part of a larger coordinated strategy.”
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House Minority Leader, has spoken out against any negative consequences for Gosar. “He didn’t notice it until after it had been uploaded. It was not his intention to cause any offence “McCarthy had previously spoken to reporters. “What I said in conference was that [we] will not tolerate any action or demonstration of violence towards another member.” Gosar argued in his own defence, saying, “I do not advocate for or support violence against anyone. I’ve never done it before. It was never my intention to cause anyone distress. I voluntarily took the cartoon down, not because it was a threat in and of itself, but because some people perceived it to be so.” According to an earlier statement, Gosar explained his reasoning for uploading the video while refraining from delivering an official apology for his actions. Numerous Republican candidates stepped out in support of Gosar during the debates. While they acknowledged that while the video was in poor taste, they believed it did not amount to a threat of violence or an action deserving of condemnation. In addition, many Republicans said that the Democrats were using the video to divert attention away from other concerns in the country and the media. Gosar’s actions were “indefensible,” according to Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney, who was one of just two Republicans to vote un favour of the resolution and break the otherwise partisan vote.
