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Democratic Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson Facing Threats After Publicly Criticizing Trump

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 13:14 PST, Oct 26, 2017

According to her spokeswoman, Florida Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson has been facing threats after publicly criticizing Donald Trump and the remarks he allegedly made to the grieving, pregnant widow of a U.S. soldier killed in Niger. Trump allegedly made his questionable remarks to widow Myeshia Johnson, including claiming that her fallen husband La David Johnson “knew what he signed up for,” during a phone call intended to be used by the president to express his condolences to the Gold Star widow.

Congresswoman Wilson reportedly witnessed the call between Trump and Myeshia Johnson on October 17, and the Florida Democrat quickly went public with what she believed to be Donald Trump’s inappropriate words. As a result, a largely partisan scandal ensued, pitting the president against Frederica Wilson and the grieving widow of a fallen U.S. soldier.

“Yes, he said it. It’s so insensitive. He should have not have said that. He shouldn’t have said it.”

Now, reports ABC News, the scandal has seemingly exploded to include angry Trump supporters and others who didn’t appreciate Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson’s criticism of the president. In the days since Wilson went public with her allegations against and criticism of Trump, Wilson spokeswoman Joyce Jones says that threats have erupted against the four-term Florida representative. And while Jones hasn’t specified the exact nature of the threats Wilson has received, she claims that there have been “a lot” of them and that many have come by way of phone calls and social media. The situation has reportedly gotten so bad that Wilson has missed congressional votes after choosing to stay home in Florida “for safety reasons.”

“She chose to stay home for safety reasons. We have received a lot of threats. She will be returning next week. This is a serious matter and that is the only reason she would ever miss votes.”

According to her spokeswoman, Congresswoman Wilson was forced to abstain from several important votes, including the highly touted and hotly contested budget vote, which took place on Thursday. Jones claims that the threats against Congresswoman Wilson are substantive and credible enough that the Florida Democrat is being protected by extra security and that the U.S. Capitol Police force is taking precautions with its staff before Wilson returns to Washington, D.C., next week.

While the phoned-in and social media threats levied against Congresswoman Wilson appear to have been the catalyst behind her week-long hiatus from Capitol Hill, they are far from the only negative retaliation she’s faced since she spoke out publicly against Donald Trump early last week. Trump himself personally attacked the Florida Democrat on Twitter, calling her “wacky” and accusing her of inappropriately listening in to his phone call with Myeshia Johnson.

According to Myeshia Johnson, Frederica Wilson is a close family friend and had been invited to listen to her phone call with Trump on speakerphone, along with a handful of other people. The call in question took place as the pregnant widow drove to meet her fallen soldier husband’s body at the airport, and according to Myeshia Johnson, the Florida Democrat’s description of what was said during that call is “100 percent correct.”

Despite being defended by the widow of a fallen U.S. soldier, Wilson was continually harangued by Trump on social media, presumably over the same time period that she was receiving the myriad of threats that kept her in Florida for a week.

As the Miami-Herald reports, Fort Lauderdale Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings claims to have “heard” that Congresswoman Wilson has received “substantial death threats.” Hastings admits to not having spoken to Frederica Wilson directly regarding the 19 votes she’s missed from Monday, October 23, to Wednesday, October 25.

“I have not spoken with her about it, but I’ve heard that she’s received substantial death threats and I think she is doing everything she can to ratchet down and let some of us, including me, take over.”

At least one social media threat against Congresswoman Wilson has resulted in a police investigation. The threat, which initially began circulating based on a Facebook post, was deemed to be racist in nature and to have been posted by a Chicago area male who is now being investigated by authorities.

“Need ten good men to help carry out a lynching. Must have own horse and saddle. Rope will be provided. This congresswomen [sic] is a disgusting pig. Someone should take their boot to her face.”

A source close to Frederica Wilson added that there may be “some” additional criminal investigations into the threats that have been made against the congresswoman since her feud with Donald Trump went viral.

[Featured Image by Alan Diaz/AP Images]

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