House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drew a clear connection between “MAGA Republicans” and the mass attack at an LGBT nightclub in Colorado Springs.
What did Pelosi say?
In one statement on Sunday, Pelosi condemned the “despicable” attack at Club Q, which she noted fell “on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance.”
“The attack on Club Q, which fell on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, is despicable — further shattering the sense of safety of LGBTQ Americans across the country,” she said.
Then, in a second statement commemorating Transgender Day of Remembrance, Pelosi took a direct shot at “MAGA Republicans,” blaming them for violence — like the attack on Club Q — against LGBT people.
“That fight remains more urgent than ever, as right-wing extremists target transgender Americans’ most fundamental rights and freedoms,” Pelosi said,
“Whether spouting dangerous rhetoric from cable news desks or openly bullying schoolchildren from the halls of power, MAGA Republicans are cruelly undermining the safety and well-being of our transgender community,” she charged.
What did others say?
Other Democratic lawmakers, organizations, and media outlets alleged that people who disagree with the LGBT agenda are essentially responsible for the heinous attack.
For example, the Denver Democrats said in a statement:
There’s a clear link between these kinds of attacks and extremists’ blatantly false and hateful rhetoric about the LGBTQ community. We’ve seen an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ bills — nearly 300 just this year — which are rooted in archaic and ugly ideologies that only seek to sow more division and traumatize a group of people who simply want the same rights as everyone else.
Rep. Alexandria Ocaiso-Cortez said, “After Trump elevated anti-immigrant & anti-Latino rhetoric, we had the deadliest anti-Latino shooting in modern history. After anti-Asian hate w/COVID, Atlanta. Tree of life. Emanuel AME. Buffalo. And now after an anti-LGBT+ campaign, Colorado Springs. Connect the dots, @GOP.”
Meanwhile, news outlets like the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times also tried to connect Republicans and the Club Q attack.
What are officials saying?
Despite the heavy-handed rhetoric, officials confirmed Monday they have not yet discovered sufficient evidence to conclude the perpetrator was motivated by hate for LGBT people.
The investigation into whether the attack was a hate crime is ongoing.