Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) responded to backlash over controversial remarks that she made over the weekend by claiming that Republicans were trying to “seize” on what she said so that they could raise money from the “KKK” and “white supremacists.”
Waters said at a protest in Minnesota over the weekend that they were “looking for a guilty verdict” and if they don’t get what they want then “we cannot go away.” When asked what “protesters” should do if they do not get the verdict that they want, Waters responded that activists have “got to stay on the street,” “get more active,” and “get more confrontational.”
Waters’ alleged incitement sparked massive backlash, including calls for her to be removed from her committee assignments and even removed from Congress.
Waters responded to the backlash over her comments by telling The Grio that “Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent … any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word, so they do it and they send a message to all of the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Boys and all of that, how this is a time for [Republicans] to raise money on [Democrats] backs.”
Waters claimed that her comments about being “confrontational” were about “confronting the justice system” and “confronting the policing that’s going on.”
“I am not worried that they’re going to continue to distort what I say. This is who they are and this is how they act,” Waters said without providing any evidence that her opponents had distorted the comments that she made. “And I’m not going to be bullied by them.”
The Grio added:
If Chauvin is found guilty, however, Waters said it would signal activists and politicians calling for police reform are “making some progress and that everything that we have done, including the protests, has led us to a point where we’re being taken seriously and we’re being treated fairly.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday that Waters should not apologize for her remarks, and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki dodged directly answering a question on the matter.