Parkland mass shooting survivor and anti-gun violence activist David Hogg was escorted from a congressional hearing after he called out GOP Representative Andy Biggs for parroting White nationalist talking points used by domestic terrorists.
The House Judiciary Committee met on Wednesday to discuss an assault weapons ban. The hearing's limited seating was mostly filled with gun control or gun rights advocates.
Among those present was March For Our Lives co-founder and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting survivor David Hogg.
The Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee made their party's gun sales and gun profits priorities clear by displaying a series of placards stating "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED" across the dais behind their seats.
The quote comes from the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Making the case for their gun manufacturer lobbyists—like the National Rifle Association (NRA)—Republicans went between quoting pro-gun statistics—which Democrats countered with death tolls—and White nationalist talking points about racial and ethnic minorities and immigration being the real dangers facing the United States.
It was this second Republican tactic that drew the ire of Parkland, Florida school shooting survivor Hogg who was seated in the gallery.
Hogg shared footage of the interaction on social media.
He tweeted:
"The guns in Parkland, Buffalo, El Paso, didn't come from Mexico."
"They came from the US, and the shooters were inspired by racist, anti-black, anti-immigrant manifestos that rhyme with GOP talking points."
In an Instagram post, Hogg added:
"I just got kicked out of Congress and I would do it again…"
"I’m tired of hearing these Republicans use the same talking points as mass shooters."
Arizona Republican Representative Andy Biggs made several non sequitur references to immigrants and the southern border in his remarks.
At one point Biggs tried to shames his fellow committee members by saying lives lost due to heat while being smuggled over the border in a truck warranted their attention instead of mass shootings at schools, churches, synagogues, shopping centers, movie theaters, concerts, parades or any of the other places they've occurred since the prior assault weapons ban lapsed. Some of the incidents Biggs minimized were hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism.
Biggs claimed residents of his state couldn't leave their homes due to immigrants and needed assault weapons to protect against an "invasion" that posed "a danger or threat."
Biggs said:
"The reality is it is an invasion of our southern border."
The Republican Representative's White nationalist rhetoric prompted audience member Hogg to stand and interrupt the proceedings.
Hogg—yelling to be heard in the large chamber—told Biggs:
"You're reiterating the points of mass shooters in your manifesto!"
"The shooter at my high school: antisemitic, anti-Black, and racist. The shooter in El Paso described it as an invasion."
As Committee Chair Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler took action to stop Hogg, the young anti-gun violence activist added:
"Guess what?"
"Those guns are coming from the United States of America."
"They aren't coming from Mexico."
As Capitol security escorted him from the chamber, Hogg concluded:
"You are reiterating the points of a mass shooter, sir."
"You are perpetuating violence."
Others agreed with Hogg's stance on White nationalism in the Republican party.
We need more of you. Thank you for your courage and patriotism.
— David Dodson 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 (@davaldod) July 20, 2022
Some pointed out widespread access to guns and the gun culture in the United States posed a danger to our neighbors, not the opposite as White nationalists claim.
Biggs has drawn criticism before for his White nationalist and White supremacist ties.
With a follow-up video after the incident, Hogg tweeted:
"We have a duty to interrupt White nationalists when they spew harmful rhetoric."
"We have to, they’re using the same talking points as mass shooter manifestos."
"Here’s my reflections and some context."
Hogg said:
"The shooter at my high school was a 19-year-old American citizen, White nationalist, that espoused hateful rhetoric about immigrants, about Black people, about Muslims and Jewish people."
"He was able to legally arm himself with an AR-15."
"Stop saying these talking points that these mass shooters are using."
"Stop reiterating them."
