AOC Slams 'Creepy' Gosar After Anime Video

GOP lawmaker depicts himself killing her, attacking Biden with swords
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 9, 2021 8:30 AM CST
Lawmaker's Anime Video Causes a Ruckus on Twitter
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

GOP Rep. Paul Gosar, a staunch ally of former President Trump, is no stranger to controversy. And the Arizona lawmaker is courting it anew with an anime video posted to Twitter and Instagram. Coverage:

  • The video: You can watch it here. The two most controversial parts depict him killing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and going after President Biden with swords, reports NBC News. All of this in the guise of the Japanese animated series Attack on Titan, explains the Washington Post. In the AOC scene, for example, her face is superimposed over the face of a Titan being felled.
  • A warning: Lots of Twitter users began flagging the video, and Twitter attached a warning, per the Hill. "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about hateful conduct," it reads. "However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible." Instagram did not pull the video, either.

  • AOC: The Democratic progressive, the political polar opposite of Gosar, caught wind of it. "So while I was en route to Glasgow, a creepy member I work with who fundraises for Neo-Nazi groups shared a fantasy video of him killing me," she tweeted. She added that the GOP leadership will not punish him.
  • Others: Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu also weighed in: "In any workplace in America, if a coworker made an anime video killing another coworker, that person would be fired," he tweeted. Fellow Democrat Eric Swalwell also called out Gosar, saying he and his allies "are more comfortable with violence than voting."
  • Gosar defense: The congressman himself hasn't responded to the controversy, but his digital director, Jennifer Lycos, did. “We made an anime video,” said Lycos. “Everyone needs to relax. The left doesn’t get meme culture. They have no joy. They are not the future. It’s a cartoon. Gosar can’t fly and he does not own any light sabers. Nor was violence glorified. This is about fighting for truth.”
(More Paul Gosar stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X