If you expected the GOP would stop equating right-wing violence with left-wing resistance in the wake of the right-wing coup attempt resulting in five deaths at the Capitol on January 6, you'd be wrong.
According to Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, for instance, "there are crazies on both sides."
The GOP has Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a conspiracy theorist who openly supported the execution of Democratic politicians. The Democrats have Representative Maxine Waters of California, a career politician who gets mad sometimes about Republicans committing crimes.
It would be funny if it weren't so offensive and dangerous.
Rep. Nancy Mace bothsides Marjorie Taylor Greene: "There are crazies on both sides of the aisle. We've seen that. It's not just Republicans that have our own issues. Democrats have them too. We've seen Maxine Waters." (Waters have never endorsed the execution of Republicans) pic.twitter.com/NjYMQFhJiq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 2, 2021
Mace's comments came during an appearance on Fox Business in which the South Carolina Republican spoke out about Greene.
Thankfully, Mace was not there to defend Greene, but rather to speak out against her encouragement and suspected involvement in the January 6 insurrection. She also spoke of Greene peddling conspiracy theories like QAnon and Frazzledrip, the latter of which alleges there is a video of Hillary Clinton cutting off a baby's face, wearing it as a mask and drinking its blood.
But then Mace's comments took a sharp left turn as she pivoted to criticize Waters.
"There are crazies on both sides of the aisle. We've seen that. It's not just Republicans that have our own issues. Democrats have them too. We've seen Maxine Waters, we've seen Maxine Waters tell folks to go and threaten and harm members of the Trump administration."
The problem is, it isn't true.
In 2018, Waters urged Democratic voters to publicly confront Republican lawmakers over the Trump Administration's "Zero Tolerance" immigration policy, which resulted in measures against refugees many other countries consider human rights violations, such as separating children from their parents, in many cases permanently.
Waters said:
"Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere."
Waters never advocated for violence of any kind.
Greene, on the other hand, has repeatedly supported calls for not only violence, but execution of Democratic politicians. There's not really much of a comparison to be drawn between the two politicians, but this sort of rhetoric isn't exactly out of character for many GOP politicians and commentators.
On Twitter, many people were infuriated by Mace's statement.
Remember when the MSM told us this lady was a moderate?
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) February 2, 2021
Congresswoman Nancy Mace is insufferable. As for "both sides," she should know all about it. She criticized Trump for his criminal behavior, yet was too afraid politically to impeach him.
And saying Maxine Waters is like Marjorie Taylor Greene is NOT a reasonable comparison. pic.twitter.com/duEVMFjGbZ
— Russell Drew (@RussOnPolitics) February 2, 2021
Just another dog whistle. Pick out a competent black woman and call her crazy. Last I checked, Maxine waters has not said anything crazy, matter of fact, she just tells it like it is and predicted Trumps impeachment(s).
— modern man (@tooronlists) February 2, 2021
Yeah I remember when Maxine Waters said that California wildfires were caused by Jewish death lasers from space. Oh, wait, no I don't .
— 🇺🇲J.D. Rhoades 🇺🇸 (@JD_Rhoades) February 2, 2021
Let me know when Maxine Waters thinks Republicans set up mass shootings to influence legislation, or when Maxine Waters thinks the GOP eats babies.
— Devin Duke (@sirDukeDevin) February 2, 2021
The "both sides" thing didn't go all that well for DJT and Charlottesville. Supporting MTG I suspect will leave a stain as well. @NancyMace you know this video will be available forever? We can see you.
— mike nance (@mlnphilapa) February 2, 2021
Oh yes, Maxine Waters, who famously believes Gentile Lasers started the Australian brushfires
— Steve Horton (@tropicalsteve) February 2, 2021
Did she really just compare Marjorie Taylor Greene who talks about eating babies, Jewish lasers & executing politicians to Maxine Waters fighting Trump corruption?!
Okay. Right.
— ClockOutWars (@clockoutwars) February 2, 2021
@RepNancyMace false equivalencies won't save the @GOP . The bottom line your Parties inability to confront the “big lie" lead to the Capital Insurrection where they wanted to kill your fellow members. Confront it now or it happens again. @RepMTG @RepJimmyGomez @DNC
— Bobby Entzminger (@BREntzminger) February 2, 2021
Every time Fox “news" says “both sides" a demon gets its wings.
— TheBadNewsB (@TheBadNewsB) February 2, 2021
Among Greene's other contrasts with Waters is Greene claimed the Parkland and Sandy Hook school shootings were staged false flags and the 2018 California wildfires were set by "Jewish space lasers."
Maxine Waters saying caging children is bad is at least as outrageous as all that, right?
@SecretaryBurgum/X
@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram