In yet another instance of the GOP showing their asses for all of the world to see, Louisiana Republican House Rep. Clay Higgins was caught on video footage this week physically manhandling and borderline assaulting a protester in an attempt to remove the demonstrating individual from a press conference with Arizona’s Rep. Paul Gosar and Colorado’s Rep. Lauren Boebert.
In the footage, that’s now gone unsurprisingly viral across social media, the protester, identified as democratic socialist protester Jake Burdett, can be heard screaming, “Get off me! You’re hurting me!” as Higgins is seen physically grabbing and pushing the man out of the crowd while shouting, “You’re out! You’re out!” at the Washington D.C. press briefing event.
Other individuals in the crowd can be heard shouting at Higgins to let go of Burdett and “calm down.”
@RepClayHiggins pushing an activist for asking tough questions is supposed to be normal? pic.twitter.com/CQx6s3PCQ3
— Kristy Fogle PA-C (@kristyfoglePAC) May 17, 2023
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Just before the incident become physical, Burdett had recorded himself confronting the Republican House Rep. Paul Gosar during a speech. Higgins interjected in an attempt to block the demonstrator’s interruptions, saying, “Let this man talk and then I’ll come talk to you privately.”
Higgins identified himself as a Louisiana Republican House Representative before telling Burdett to “peacefully stand by with your camera” and wait for the end of Gosar’s speech to ask questions and give comments.
Eventually, the press event moved on to Lauren Boebert’s portion. As the Colorado Republican began to give her speech to the crowd, Burdett shouted out a confrontation and began to move toward Boebert, pushing his way through the barricades. Higgins responded to the protester by physically grabbing Burdett by his arms and shoving him backward, out of the crowd.
Burdett — a self-described “progressive activist” and “Democratic Socialist” — later took to Twitter with a post and videos, claiming that he was being detained by the D.C. police as a result of the physical confrontation with Higgins.
I am currently being detained by DC Police for asking tough questions to far right extremist Congressmen @RepGosar and @laurenboebert at a press conference. Rep Clay Higgins proceeded to assault/physically remove me from the press conference.For this, the cops detained me,not him pic.twitter.com/iX4yjCGKsZ
— Jake Burdett (@jake_burdett) May 17, 2023
A damning 2020 report from Buzzfeed News revealed that Higgins bears close ties to the Oath Keepers, an extremist Right-wing white supremacy group with deep involvement in the January 6th Capitol insurrection, and has a history of being violent and threatening toward protesters.
Featured image via screen capture
