Trump defended Gosar after the House denounced the Republican

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Former President Donald Trump weighed in to endorse Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., A day after the Republican lawmaker was criticized by the House and removed from his committees for sharing an anime video describing his murder of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., and attacking President Biden.

“Congressman Paul Gosar has been a staunch supporter of our America First agenda, and above all, the USA,” Trump said in a statement Thursday. “Paul is a Congressman who is highly respected in Arizona, strong on Crime, Borders, our Military, and our Veterans. He continues to fight for Lower Taxes, Less Regulation, and our great, but under of the siege, Second Amendment. Paul Gosar has my Complete and Total Endorsement! “

HOUSE CENSURES GOP REP. PAUL GOSAR, STRIPS COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS OVER ANIME VIDEO OF AOC ATTACK

Former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

With a majority vote on the party line on Wednesday, the House voted to denounce Gosar and remove him from his committees after he posted a video on Twitter earlier this month describing him and Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., And Lauren Boebert, R -Colo., Attack a character with an Ocasio-Cortez face edited in the video. Democrats united in the vote to denounce Gosar, while the only Republicans to vote alongside Democrats were Reps. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., And Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.

Along with the GOP’s almost universal opposition to the censure resolution against Gosar, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Criticized Democrats for subscribing to the philosophy of “rules for you and not for me.” on the floor of the Chamber.

Other Republicans were critical of the Democratic effort to denounce Gosar but they admitted the video was “inappropriate”.

“The video is definitely provocative and in my opinion inappropriate,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., Although he warned the move to remove Gosar from his committee assignments “continues to set an extremely dangerous precedent for future Congresses.”

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 17: Rep. Paul Gosar. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) ((Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images))

But some Republicans expressed frustration with the GOP lawmaker even though the party was almost united to vote against the censure resolution.

“The leadership is angry,” a House GOP aide told Fox News. “These little distractions are a waste of energy, childish, unnecessary.”

Gosar defended himself amid the controversy, telling Fox News that “he has nothing to apologize for.”

“I have received tremendous support from fellow Republicans, including Leader McCarthy, for which I am extremely grateful. Yesterday’s fight was 100% partisan and it reflects the ongoing cultural war,” Gosar said in a statement on Fox News Thursday. “This time, we didn’t back down, and we have nothing to apologize for. I put Republicans in a great position across the country as fighters, rather than surrenders. And fight for what is right.”

In an interview with SiriusXMs The Wilkow Majority on Thursday, Gosar said he would take down the video if Ocasio-Cortez asked him to.

UNITED STATES – JUNE 30: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images) (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

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“If he goes to see me and says – or even took my phone number, emailed or called and said I see where you’re trying to go, but can you remove it? I’ll be happy,” Gosar said. .

The video was quickly taken down after it was posted, though Gosar insisted during the interview that he did not intentionally do any harm.

“I don’t espouse violence. I don’t espouse harming anybody, whether it’s a member of Congress, whether it’s the President of the United States, whether it’s my own brothers and sisters,” Gosar said.

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