Rep. Steve Cohen’s assertion that a majority of National Guard members providing security for President Biden’s inauguration could be a secret threat isn’t sitting well with a fellow House member, Rep. Elaine Luria.
The Virginia Democrat, who is a Navy veteran, took Cohen to task over his statement that National Guard members could secretly be ready to do something dangerous that day against the newly sworn-in president.
“The Guard is 90 some-odd-percent male, and only about 20% of white males voted for Biden,” the Tennessee Democrat said on CNN Tuesday. “They’re probably not more than 25% of the people that are there protecting us who voted for Biden. The other 75% are in the large class of folks who might want to do something.”
All 25,000 Guardsmen were vetted Tuesday, and 12 were removed from duty over reportedly having ties to extremist groups or for making inappropriate comments or texts.
“I could not disagree more with my colleague. I’m honored to have the men and women of the National Guard keeping our Capitol safe,” Luria tweeted.
Luria, a second-term lawmaker, served 20 years in the Navy, retiring at the rank of commander. The Virginia Democrat was deployed to the Middle East and the western Pacific, and she finished her Navy career by commanding a combat-ready unit of 400 sailors.
Other members of Congress took issue with Cohen’s remarks about the National Guard, including members who are active members of the Guard.
“The comments made by my colleague, Representative Cohen, are undoubtedly regrettable and inflammatory. I currently serve in the National Guard, and just as he and I took an oath when becoming members of Congress, members of the National Guard did the same,” Mississippi Republican Rep. Steve Palazzo told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “To make an assertion of this degree is despicable, and I implore the Congressman to retract his words and instead thank these men and women for fulfilling their sworn obligations.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, tweeted, “As a proud guardsman, this is bad. Let’s stop all the ‘high-scale-emotion-be-afraid’ politics.”
