9th District Cong. Andrew Clyde broke his silence on the unrest in Minneapolis Tuesday.
Clyde, a Jackson County Republican whose district includes part of Hall County, and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment, defended the right of the protester who was killed by an ICE agent recently to be carrying a loaded handgun. But at the same time he pointed the finger of blame for his death at the state and city leadership.
CLYDE’S STATEMENT:
“American citizens have a Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. We also have a First Amendment right to peaceably assemble. Our Second Amendment rights do not disappear when we exercise our First Amendment freedoms. In fact, I’ve long said the Second Amendment is the teeth behind the First Amendment, protecting it from government overreach.
“There is no constitutional right to obstruct law enforcement enforcing the law. That is a CRIME. It’s appalling that liberal “leaders” like Governor Walz and Mayor Frey have incited violence against ICE and CBP agents. We warned that such irresponsible, radical rhetoric would lead to chaos—and that’s exactly what’s happened. Not only to impede the Trump Administration’s lawful operations to remove illegal aliens, but to distract from the fraud scandal.
“We also must recognize that these preventable tragedies cannot be weaponized to slow down or stop what the American people voted for: Mass deportations, safe communities, and law and order. We have a responsibility to defend our unalienable rights and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens. We can—and must—do both at the same time.”
