Rep. Louie Gohmert on Thursday blasted the Democrats’ sit-in that forced House Republicans to adjourn for the week, and said Democrats were trying to hinder both civil rights and the Second Amendment.
“So they weren’t just standing up for rights, they were taking away rights,” Gohmert said on Fox News Thursday morning, adding that the takeover of the House floor was “unprecedented.”
“It was incredible to see real American folk heroes like John Lewis who were brutalized and stood up for civil rights, folks were there using the instruments that helped gain civil rights to try to take away people’s civil rights,” he said.
During the sit-in, which House Democrats began early Wednesday afternoon over a failure to pass gun control measures, Gohmert had a fiery exchange with a few colleagues, including Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif.
While shouting “Radical Islamic killed these people!” in reference to those who died in the June 12 Orlando, Fla., terror attack, Democrats chanted back “No bill, no break!”
He also had a heated exchanged with Rep. Corrine Browne, D-Fla., whose district includes the site of the Orlando massacre.
On Fox, Gohmert argued that one of the proposed gun control measures, to prevent anyone on a so-called no fly list from buying guns, is “insane.”
“It’s insane to try and take away our civil rights, our Second Amendment rights,” he said. “The gun-free zones are where these terrorists like to go because they know they’re protected.”
Gohmert, who called the sit-in “Occupy Capitol Hill,” agreed with the notion that it is why Americans dislike politicians.
“It’s why Donald Trump is doing so well,” Gohmert explained. “They want somebody who will stand up for their rights as they see them flittering away.” Gohmert said he will vote for presumed GOP nominee Donald Trump after previously endorsing Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
The Democrats violated “a whole myriad of rules and it didn’t matter at all,” Gohmert lamented.
As of 8 a.m. Eastern time Thursday, the sit-in was still going strong on the House floor, even after Republicans adjourned the chamber just after 3 a.m.
