Democratic, Republican politicians from Fort Worth area denounce riots at US Capitol
Democrat U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth said the riot raging in the nation’s Capitol on Wednesday was a result of President Donald Trump’s attack on democracy.
Veasey said in a statement that he and his staff were safe as Trump supporters continue to storm the Capitol.
“Now is the time to come together — not fan the dangerous flames of division,” he said.
Veasey and other Texas representatives are in Washington to certify the Electoral College count. The constitutional process has been delayed because of the mob that stormed the Capitol. Lawmakers have been evacuated.
Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth and Rep. Michael Burgess of Denton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rep. Ron Wright of Arlington wrote on Twitter that he was safe and that he condemns the violence happening at the Capitol.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on Twitter that he was safe and those that are storming the Capitol needed to stop.
“Those engaged in violence are hurting the cause they say they support,” Cruz wrote.
Sen. John Cornyn could not be reached.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price asked Fort Worthians to pray for the country in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.
“I am horrified by what is happening in our nation’s capital. It is devastating that our country has become this fractured. Violence is never the answer,” she wrote. “It is my hope and prayer that cooler heads will prevail and we will have a peaceful transition of power. Please pray for our nation.”
Deborah Peoples, Tarrant County Democratic Party chair and candidate for mayor, said what is taking place in America is disgusting.
“I don’t care what you call yourself,” Peoples said. “All of us as Americans should be just totally gutted and appalled by this.”
This riot doesn’t make America any better than the other countries that we try to be an example for, she said.
Peoples said she shut down the Tarrant County Democratic Party office as a precaution. She asks Tarrant County residents to be vigilant and be safe.
Fort Worth Councilwoman Kelly Allen Gray struggled for a minute to find words to describe her feelings, saying it reminded her of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
“Today is not a very good day for our country. It is everything you never wanted to live to see,” she said, later adding: “In all the weeks leading up to this day, I don’t think anyone imagined this day would actually look like this.”
If there are concerns about election integrity, lawmakers should address those through voting laws, Councilman Cary Moon said. He said he had seen about three minutes of coverage from Washington.
“This — the violence — should in no way be encouraged,” Moon said, adding that the rule of law and a peaceful transition of power were just as important as fair elections. “If there are frustrations out there, they need to be handled through legislation.”
Councilman Brian Byrd called the violence in Washington “heartbreaking.”
“Every individual has a constitutional right to peaceful protest but violence is never a viable solution to any situation,” he said in a text. “My prayers are with the law enforcement who are responding to these violent demonstrations.”
For about 10 years Councilman Jungus Jordan worked at the Capitol as a policy advisor in the Department of Defense. After watching coverage Wednesday evening he said he was “deeply disturbed.”
Jordan wouldn’t blame individuals for the chaos, saying it was up to every American to end aggressive partisanship.
“I think our emotions are raw right now, for a lot of reasons. Partisan reasons,” he said. “We need to get our emotions focused on the welfare of the people.”
Councilman Dennis Shingleton called the storming of the Capitol “anarchy” and “crap,” blaming a “profound lack of leadership across the board” for the chaos. He said lawmakers of both parties had failed to lead and uphold integrity, and should be out in force discouraging the protesters.
“I’m just absolutely angry,” he said. “This is like a Third World country.”
Other Fort Worth council members did not immediately return calls for comment.
Rick Barnes, Tarrant County Republican chair, said his prayers are with legislators, law enforcement officials and those that were protesting peacefully.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Texas Democratic Party and Texas Republican Party condemned the violence at the Capitol.
“Whereas we vigorously support the First Amendment right to freely assemble, we condemn violence and pray for all gathering in our nation’s capital and those at the Capitol Building,” Texas GOP said in a statement. “The Texas GOP has always been on the side of law and order and will remain so.”
Texas Democrats spokesperson Abhi Rahman said, “Ted Cruz, Ken Paxton, and Texas House Republicans are attempting to overthrow the will of the people to score points with their violent base.”
“Now, Washington DC is in chaos and a violent minority are embolden to act out as violently and dangerously as possible,” Rahman said.
Gov. Greg Abbott condemned the “violence and mayhem” in a statement.
“Peaceful protest is a core tenant of the United States Constitution; violence and mayhem are not,” Abbott said. ”The violence and mayhem must stop. America is founded on the rule of law, and the law enforcement officers working to restore order at the United States Capitol must be heeded.”
State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, shared a screenshot on Twitter of a post Trump made in July amid protests in Portland. In the post, Trump said vandalism and damage to federal buildings would be prosecuted.
“This was the right approach to mob violence in Portland,” Krause said on Twitter. “The same holds true now for those at the U.S. Capitol. They need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Every. Single. Person.”
State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, in a statement called the scenes from the U.S. Capitol “sickening and shocking.” He said they are “a direct result of a lawless president who has no respect for our nation or our democratic institutions.”
“I hope none of the brave law enforcement officers who had to defend against these rioters have been injured,” Turner said. “Ted Cruz and Ken Paxton will forever be remembered for their unpatriotic actions on this dark day in American history.”
Paxton on Twitter said he was attending the rally in D.C.
“All Patriots need to be present to stand with President Trump,” Paxton said in a Jan. 3 post.
Wednesday afternoon he said violence is not the answer, and called on protesters to “to practice their constitutional right in a peaceful manner.”
“I am sorely disappointed today in the certification of the election, but I don’t believe violence is the answer,” Paxton said on Twitter.
State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, said he thinks the people that are in D.C. to protest peacefully have the right to do so.
“It’s the criminals that are there,” he said. “There’s no excuse for them.”
State Rep. Ramon Romero, D-Fort Worth, said hyper partisanship is to blame for the unrest at the U.S. Capitol.
“This is what hyper partisanship leads to,” Romero said on Facebook. “So many that just accept this as Trump and his followers just being Trumpian should know that political rhetoric is dangerous.”
State Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Fort Worth, called the events at the Capitol “an appalling assault on democracy, decency and the principles on which our country was founded.”
“For too long we have taken our precious Republic for granted,” Powell said in a statement. “I implore Senator Cruz and others in DC to abandon any attempt to block the certification of the electoral college, to cease rhetoric that enflames violence and to demonstrate true allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America. I pray we focus on healing and bringing our country together to solve important problems.”
State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, called the situation “heartbreaking.”
“We must remember who we are as Americans,” she said on Twitter. “Respect for our democracy, our institutions, and each other is so important. We are better than this.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 3:51 PM.
