Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat from Texas, wants to imprison people who make fun of Congress members on the Internet.
The Federalist Papers reports,
It is a full scale fight against free speech in the same way the Democrats fight against other Amendments like the right to bear arms.
“Those people who are online making fun of members of Congress are a disgrace, and there is no need for anyone to think that is unacceptable [sic],” Rep. Wilson said.
She meant to say “there is no need for anyone to think that is acceptable” but it is tough to get words correct when one is feigning outrage.
“We’re gonna shut them down and work with whoever it is to shut them down, and they should be prosecuted,” she said.
“You cannot intimidate members of Congress, frighten members of Congress. It is against the law, and it’s a shame in this United States of America,” she said, The Washington Examiner reported.
ProPublica on Monday publicized posts made by Border Patrol agents in a private Facebook group that disparaged migrants and some members of Congress, such as Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Wilson then went on to blame President Trump for causing people to lose respect for Congress, the media, and the White House.
A May 2019 Gallup poll recorded a 20% approval rating for Congress, whose approval rating has not hit 30% in 10 years.
Wilson has long been a critic of the president, whom she has claimed is “crazy” and suffering from “a brain disorder.”
She waded into a public feud with the White House in October 2017, when she listened in on a phone call that Trump made to Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in the line of duty in Niger on Oct. 4, 2017.
Wilson claimed that Trump told the Gold Star widow that her husband “knew what he signed up for, but I guess it still hurt.”
Her words were met with scorn on Twitter and other forums who thought that her statement was continuing the war against free speech on the Internet.
Democrat Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL) says that people who are “making fun of members of Congress” online “should be prosecuted” pic.twitter.com/f69KwOeJ0n
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) July 2, 2019
Frederica Wilson (D-FL) says people who make fun of her on the internet need to be prosecuted, and she’s promising to do it. I’m sure this won’t create an endless supply of memes making fun of the internet sheriff. pic.twitter.com/Et9EPNtJeu
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 2, 2019
2018: Maxine Waters shouts to a cheering crowd they should stalk and harass members of the Trump admin and Republican leaders in public.
2019: Frederica Wilson declares making fun of members of Congress online should be a federal felony.
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) July 3, 2019
Who needs to make fun of Members of Congress when all you need to do is print what they say?https://t.co/vDsCKE64ow
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 2, 2019