Democrat Leader Jeffries Accuses ‘Unhinged’ Arizona Lawmaker Of Inciting Violence

Arizona State Representative John Gillette (R-LD30) faced criticism from a local publication on Friday after he condemned Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s (D-WA) April remarks urging leftist protesters to be “strike-ready” and “street-ready.”

In a post on X, Gillette wrote, “Until people like this, that advocate for the overthrow of the American government are tried convicted and hanged…it will continue,” referring to political violence. The AZ Mirror and Rep. Jayapal have accused Gillette of inciting violence with his statement, while he and other commentators argue that Jayapal’s remarks were a call to violence.

An Arizona publication, the AZ Mirror, characterized the statement from Gillette as him “call[ing] for the execution of a Democratic congresswoman,” in an article by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy on September 25^th. In turn, the Congresswoman issued a statement condemning Gillette. 

She wrote in part, “Two days ago, an elected member of the Arizona State House of Representatives called for me and those who advocate for nonviolent resistance training to be ‘tried, convicted and hanged.’ This is appalling, unacceptable, and dangerous from anyone, but particularly from an elected official. It is a call to violence designed to suppress nonviolent democratic organizing against authoritarianism and further polarize the American public for political gain. Sadly, it makes the world a more dangerous place for each of us.”

Jayapal claimed that in her Zoom training, in which the quote was made, she “explicitly teach[es] about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of nonviolent resistance.”

However, in an interview with The Nation in March, she provided a more militaristic context saying, 

“The idea is that we need to get people ‘strike ready.’ If you’re in the labor movement, you’d say strike ready and street ready. And in order to do that, people need to understand: What are other models of countries where democracies have fallen? 

How do people deal with that? What are the best tools and tactics and frameworks to analyze it and to fight back? The level of risk that people are willing to take usually goes up with the severity of the situation. It’s also about educating people that democracies don’t just fall in one day but in a matter of months. We need to understand that institutions don’t save us, government doesn’t save us in these situations. It really has to be the people. And so how do you inspire people to think about what is the scale of resistance that needs to be there and what kinds of things are most effective?”

Gillette responded to the AZ Mirror’s story with a clarifying statement:

The Arizona Mirror, a partisan leftist outlet, has published a reckless and misleading article falsely claiming that I “called for the execution of a Democrat lawmaker.” That claim is demonstrably false, and the record proves it.

The attached post, visible to anyone, clearly references the longstanding statutory penalty for treason and attempts to overthrow the United States government. I stated plainly: “Until people like this, that advocate for the overthrow of the American government are tried, convicted, and hanged… it will continue.”

This statement is a direct reference to U.S. law. Treason and insurrection carry the death penalty. That is not my invention; it is established law. My post explicitly calls for due process: “tried, convicted, and hanged.” Trial first. Conviction next. Penalty last. That is the foundation of the American justice system.

At no point did I “call for the execution of a Democrat.” I called for the law to be enforced against anyone—regardless of party—who openly advocates for the violent overthrow of the American government.

What is more troubling is the conduct of the Mirror’s reporter. He called me for comment, then continued to text and call after I made it clear that my post spoke for itself and that he should stop contacting me. Rather than quote me directly, the Mirror chose to manufacture its own narrative, strip context, and push a headline built to inflame rather than inform—like a true propagandist.

The Arizona Mirror has a long track record of publishing misinformation, selective editing, and half-truths. Once again, it has twisted the facts, omitted context, and misled the public.

• Advocating for the overthrow of the U.S. government is a crime.
• The penalty for that crime under federal law is death.
• I called for due process, not vigilante justice.

 The Mirror owes its readers the full context, not partisan spin.

Gillette has responded to his comments with a clarification; however, the originating quote from Jayapal, identified by many commentators, including Ari Hoffman and Libs of TikTok’s Chaya Raichik, as an “incitement to violence,” has yet to be clarified.

In April, Hoffman wrote in a post to X, “ANTAGONIZER OR TRAITOR? Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Gaza) has created “Resistance Labs,” training sessions to teach radical activists “tactics and strategies” to get them “strike ready and street ready” to take on the government Sounds like an insurrection to me,” he later added, “Sounds like an insurrection from the Squad member who supported BLM, Antifa & a deadly autonomous zone.”

Yesterday , Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

“I condemn the hateful and vile threats made against Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. These dangerous comments calling for her execution are unconscionable. Arizona legislators must hold this unhinged elected official accountable for contributing to an unsafe environment and risking bodily harm to a sitting Member of Congress. There is no place for the incitement of political violence in this country. Republican leaders must reject it immediately.”

The California Globe has reached out to Rep. Jayapal’s office and requested a clarification of her comments calling for leftist protestors to be “strike ready and street ready,” and what “tools and tactics and frameworks to analyze it and to fight back,” she was referring to. We have not received a response.