Gingrich: Maxine Waters ‘Openly Encouraging Violence’ in Minnesota

During a Monday interview on FNC’s “Fox & Friends,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sounded off on Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) recently calling for protesters to “get more confrontational” amid the Derek Chauvin trial for the death of George Floyd.

Gingrich ripped Waters for her rhetoric, saying she is “openly encouraging violence.” He called for a “nationwide movement” to help prevent looting and violence in the streets under the guise of protesting.

“[T]he more patient we are, the more radical they are. So, you have over a year of violence in Portland, Oregon. You have an expectation of violence. Why should we expect violence if the criminal justice system works? Why should we tolerate violence? Why should we tolerate National Guardsmen being shot at? I think we have to really rethink our whole approach to making sure we stop people from being violent if necessary by doing the opposite of what Rashida Tlaib wanted and actually increasing the prisons. You cannot have a country which cowers in fear and which has radicals who wander around openly encouraging violence.”

He added, “I think it’s going to require a nationwide movement that says we are going to protect our people. We are going to protect our property. We are not going to tolerate criminals in the street. You know, when somebody is out looting, that’s not a protest, that’s a criminal. And they should be treated as criminals. And the fact that you have a congresswoman who is actively encouraging criminals, and also you have a congresswoman in Rashida Tlaib, who literally wants to abolish the police and close all the prisons … this is madness.”

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