Rep. Maxine Waters.Photo: Susan Walsh/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty
Rep.Maxine Watersshrugged off conservative backlash — saying she was misunderstood — after she encouraged protesters to “get more active” and “get more confrontational” if a guilty verdict is not reached inDerek Chauvin’s trialin the death ofGeorge Floyd.
As Republican outcry mounted, the judge in Chauvin’s triallikewise criticizedWaters' rhetoric as “disrespectful” to the judicial process but said she had not prejudiced jurors.
The judge said, however, that Waters may have helped a possible defense appeal in the future, according toThe Washington Post.
“We’ve got to stay on the street and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational,” Waters said. “We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.”
“We’re looking for a guilty verdict and we’re looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd,” she told reporters. “If nothing does not happen, then we know that we got to not only stay in the street, but we have got to fight for justice.”
A spokesperson for Waters did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, though,she told The Griothat “I am nonviolent” and that conservatives were trying to “distort” what she said.
Rep. Maxine Waters.Shutterstock
Who Is Maxine Waters?
Waters is a leading member of the Democratic Party’s caucus in the the House of Representatives. She represents California’s 43rd district in the Los Angeles area.
She has served in Congress since 1991 and is the highest-ranking Black woman in the House, where she chairs the House Financial Services Committee.
She is also no stranger to controversy among conservatives.
Waters' Comments Have Irked the GOP Before
In 2018, Waters told supporters they should confront Trump administration officials in public spaces: “You get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” For that, she faced backlash from Republicans as well assome other Democrats.
More recently, Waters was also involved in a tense exchange during a hearing with Rep. Jim Jordan.
Waters told Jordan to “shut your mouth” after the committee chair, Rep. Jim Clyburn, tried to move on from Jordan, who was pressing Dr. Anthony Fauci about how COVID-19 guidelines were infringing on his and other Americans' “liberties.”
Waters' sister Velma Moody died of COVID-19 last year.
Rep. Maxine Waters.Rich Fury/Getty
Waters Explains ‘Get More Confrontational’ Comment
Waters toldThe Griothat the conservative criticism against her was wrongheaded.
She explained: “I talk about confronting the justice system, confronting the policing that’s going on, I’m talking about speaking up. I’m talking about legislation. I’m talking about elected officials doing what needs to be done to control their budgets and to pass legislation.”
Waters added that that backlash to what she said “does not deter me from speaking truth to power.”
“I am not intimidated,” she said. “I am not afraid, and I do what needs to be done.”
Rep. Maxine Waters.Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Who Is Criticizing Waters for Her Comments?
Waters' remark quickly became a flashpoint among Republican lawmakers.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the GOP leader in the House,saidWaters' rhetoric was “dangerous” and vowed to “bring action” against her in Congress if House SpeakerNancy Pelosidid not carry out some form punishment.
Freshman Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — a controversial figure in her own right, who wasremoved from all House committee postsearlier this year — called for Waters to be expelled.
“I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution, to respect a coequal branch of government,” the judge said.
“Their failure to do so, I think, is abhorrent,” he continued.
Cahill however denied the defense motion for a mistrial and said Waters' remark “really doesn’t matter a whole lot anyway.”
Pelositold reportersMonday that Waters didn’t need to apologize and that she felt Waters wasn’t inciting violence. However, she suggested she would have spoken differently.
“I, myself, think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family,” Pelosi said. “They’ve handled this with great dignity.”
Five people died during the January rioting, for which PresidentDonald Trumpwaschargedand lateracquittedof incitement after encouraging attendees at a rally before the riot to march on Congress.
Instead, Psaki, 42, said PresidentJoe Bidenbelieves “exercising First Amendment rights and protesting injustice is the most American thing that anyone can do, but as he also always says, protests must be peaceful.”
Will Waters Face Punishment Over What She Said?
Hemaintains, however, that some Democrats would vote with him.
A spokesperson for Pelosi, 81, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
