Amid calls for “in your face” incivility from leading Democrats, multiple Republican offices have been vandalized across the country ahead of the midterm elections.
In New York City last night, the GOP headquarters at the Metropolitan Republican Club on the upper east side of Manhattan was vandalized “with broken windows, a spray-painted anarchy sign, and a threatening message that the ‘attack is merely a beginning,'” the Daily Caller reported.
Metropolitan GOP Club vandalized in Manhattan last night. Anarchist symbol scrawled on the doors.
Remember @NYGovCuomo said that there is no place for conservatives in New York? These are his party's shock troops 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/Ldv7ns84Xt
— Red Nation Rising (@RedNationRising) October 12, 2018
A Republican campaign office was also vandalized in Mesa, Arizona, overnight. Vandals shattered a window that was displaying a poster for Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who is running against Democrat David Garcia in the Nov. 6 midterm election.
Another GOP office vandalized in Arizona. First it was Flagstaff, now it’s Mesa. They throw rocks, we knock doors. pic.twitter.com/ut3LJzb9Hv
— Rick Gorka (@Rick_Gorka) October 12, 2018
https://twitter.com/ali/status/1050822176100757504
The Flagstaff GOP office was vandalized in late August.
"F" Trump: Flagstaff GOP Office Vandalized
This and many more topics starting in 3 minutes on the Jeff Oravits Show
97.1FM and streaming at https://t.co/BWH9KhaDGiThanks Elisha @dorfsmith for the pics! pic.twitter.com/wi036B1xcT
— Jeff Oravits (@JeffOravits) August 27, 2018
Last month, a Republican office in Laramie, Wyoming, was firebombed just two days after it opened.
Coming up tonight at 10: The Albany County Republican Party Headquarters was vandalized and set on fire pic.twitter.com/euT9HF8vUR
— Official Christy Waite (@ChristyWaiteTv) September 7, 2018
“It’s heartbreaking to think that we have gotten to the point where even in a small town and peaceful community like Laramie that this kind of thing can happen, simply because of political differences,” the chairman for the Albany County Republican Party said.
July was a busy month for GOP office vandals.
In early July, the Nebraska GOP headquarters in Lincoln was vandalized by “open borders activists.”
Nebraska GOP headquarters vandalized https://t.co/8ZKClhNinQ pic.twitter.com/rI6FWDyJZu
— San Diego Informer (@sandiegoinforme) July 4, 2018
A paper delivery person contacted police just before 3:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, saying the windows of the headquarters had been smashed by a brick.
When police arrived, they found the windows broken and words “abolish ICE” on the sidewalk in front of the building.
The campaign Twitter account for Gov. Pete Ricketts demanded that Nebraska Democrats “address the lawlessness.”
From Governor Ricketts: "The vandalism of the @NEGOP headquarters by open borders activists is completely unacceptable. Nebraska Democrats must address the call to lawlessness in their party."
— Pete Ricketts (@RickettsForGov) July 3, 2018
The Nebraska GOP chimed in with a similar message:
.@bobkristne Nebraska voters deserve to know where you stand on the increasingly radical rhetoric of the @NebraskaDems and the violence it incites. #NEGov https://t.co/dxN3M1Xgsf
— NEGOP (@NEGOP) July 3, 2018
The Nebraska Democrat Twitter account fired back at the governor, calling his statement “disgusting” and blaming President Trump for the breakdown in civility.
This is a disgusting statement and to pose such a question goes against any level of civility. So much for coming together. You are blaming our party? All of us have a role in stopping the violence, racism and heated words–from Pres. Trump to each and every one of us.
— Nebraska Democratic Party 💙 🌊 (@NebraskaDems) July 3, 2018
The party later had a change of heart, and issued a more sober statement:
Here is what we issued along with an email to your leadership saying we are here for you: https://t.co/HsrYe2FJIc
— Nebraska Democratic Party 💙 🌊 (@NebraskaDems) July 3, 2018
Also in July, the headquarters for the Republican Party of Fayette County, Kentucky, was vandalized.
Political Hate Crime – 2nd time within 12 months Vandalized – Republican Party of Fayette County.
Lexington – We are better than this.@realDonaldTrump#K2Crew #WeAreKy #Tolerance #FCRP #RPK pic.twitter.com/r9cuzPT4va
— Ken Kearns K2 (@k2_ken) July 26, 2018
The building suffered damage to its front window as a result of what appeared to come from a sledgehammer.
This was the third time in two years that the building had been targeted by left-wing vandals.
Most recently in August 2017, vandals defaced the property with spray paint, writing words like “Nazi scum” and “Die Nazi.”
In November 2016, Lexington Police say someone threw a large object through the front door, causing it to break.
Vandals hit the office of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale in Billings, Montana, on July 24, when Vice President Mike Pence was in the city campaigning for him.
Rosendale Campaign Office In Billings Vandalized https://t.co/o7m88L8GlU
— FawnMacMT~🙏🚂🚃🚃 🚀🐄🌬️🥓🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸❤️ (@FawnMacMT) July 29, 2018
Rosendale said in an email that “a window was busted at their Billings office while Vice President Pence was in town.”
On September 29, the Republican headquarters in Winnebago County, Illinois, was vandalized with the words “RAPE and SHAME” spray-painted in red to protest the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Winnebago County (IL) GOP headquarters in Rockford vandalized. Original pics here –>https://t.co/psCpHWI6Ka pic.twitter.com/LtfJSTdP53
— Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) September 30, 2018
Chairman of the Winnebago County GOP Jim Thompson told reporters, “The Winnebago County Republican Central Committee Headquarters is located in the building in which seven women work each day. It’s the place in which over two dozen female precinct committeemen meet to fulfill their commitment to our community. They should not have to be afraid because some people could not control their hate.”
A 42-year-old man from Rockford, Illinois, was arrested on October 1 in connection with the vandalism.
Vandal Timothy Damm is facing a felony charge of criminal defacement of property and resisting a peace officer.
He was taken into custody Monday before posting bond and is now expected to appear in court on October 11th.
Investigators believe Damm is the only person responsible for defacing the property, but Jim Thompson, chairman of the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee says the organization will be taking new steps to prevent another vandal on their property.
ICYMI: Timothy Damm, 42, of Rockford was arrested for the vandalism of the Winnebago County Republican party headquarters. He is being held in the Winnebago County Jail. https://t.co/x4j61o3xky
— 23 WIFR (@23WIFR) October 3, 2018
WTVO Eyewitness News interviewed Damm, who lives right across the street from the office, before he was arrested.
“How does it feel to have this happening right across the street from where you live?” the reporter asked.
“I think it’s great,” Damm replied. “You know, just — I mean, I haven’t been great having the Republicans right in my neighborhood. But that they’re labeled — somebody labeled them for what they are. I’m happy about that,” he added.
“Do you think they got their message across, whatever they were?” the reporter asked.
“I think they did,” Damm answered, smiling.
“What do you think their message was behind this?” the reported pressed.
“That Republican equals rape,” Damn answered. “That they support rape, they encourage rape, and you know — if you rape someone, they will defend you,” he answered. He told the reporter that he hoped whoever has to clean it up “gets a lot of overtime.”
He threw in a dig at the police, saying that he was glad to see them at the GOP office because it meant they weren’t doing other things “that we might not like them to do.”
“So I’m happy,” he said with a laugh.
If found guilty, Damm faces one to three years in prison.
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