Republicans bash Dems' 'vilification' of service members, say rhetoric increases odds of violence

By Fox News · Fox News

Republicans and Democrats clashed at a Homeland Security hearing on Wednesday, sharply disagreeing over whether public rhetoric or operational tactics have spurred violence against law enforcement in recent months. Although the committee discussed the safety of service members from a range of different agencies, lawmakers spent much of their time considering the public discourse surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. WHERE THE TRUMP ADMIN'S COURT FIGHT OVER DC NATIONAL GUARD STANDS IN WAKE OF SHOOTING Ahead of the hearing, Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., said he doesn’t believe that Democrat-led criticisms of ICE have directly led to violence but have created an environment that makes them more likely. "Some of it is rhetoric that we've seen come out of many people in the Democrat Party. I mean, you know, there have been examples where we've had governors, mayors, members of Congress who have had very derogatory things to say about particularly ICE [and] federal law enforcement," Guest said. "I'm not gonna say every member of the Democratic Party has that philosophy, but there's quite a few who have espoused those beliefs publicly. And I think it creates a very dangerous situation." Guest noted that calls against law enforcement have circulated for years, stretching back to the "defund the police" movement. The committee entertained testimony from Michael Hughes, executive director of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Patrick Yoes, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police; Jonathan Thompson, CEO of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and Daniel Hodges, an officer with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Hughes, like Guest, said he believes alarmist rhetoric heightens the possibility of violence against law enforcement. "Constructive criticism of law enforcement is healthy and accountability is essential. But what we are seeing today from some public figures, segments of the media, and even some electe…