Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday announced what he called a “radical rage” after his home in Kentucky was vandalized with messages apparently protesting against his refusal to pay $ 600 in Covid aid. to increase to $ 2,000.
The attack follows a similar one at the home of Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the Democratic House, in San Francisco.
Democrats under Pelosi support the move to increase payments, but McConnell blocked it, despite its origins in a claim by Donald Trump.
According to local media reports, the home of the majority leader in Louisville was spray-painted with slogans on Saturday morning, including ‘Weres’. [sic] my money? “and” Mitch kills the poor “.
Police reported light damage. It was not immediately clear if McConnell and his wife, Transport Secretary Elaine Chao, were home at the time.
In California, Pelosi’s home was adorned with a pig’s head, red paint and messages, including ‘cancel cancellation’ and ‘we want everything’.
McConnell said in a statement on Saturday: ‘I have spent my career fighting for the first amendment [which protects free speech] and the defense of peaceful protest. I appreciate every Kentuckian who has entered the democratic process, whether they agree with me or not.
“It’s different. Vandalism and the politics of fear have no place in our society. My wife and I have never been intimidated by this toxic playbook. We just hope our neighbors in Louisville are not too hurt by this radical rage. ”
The state Republican Party has demanded that the Democrats expose the vandalism. In a tweet, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear called the vandalism “unacceptable.”
“While the first amendment protects our freedom of speech,” he said wrote“Vandalism is reprehensible and for any reason never acceptable.”
Protesters both against McConnell and for Trump in his efforts to seize power – which McConnell opposed – gathered outside the majority leader’s house.
“We all know that Trump supporters and what everyone wants to call Black Lives Matter differed,” one protester said. in footage broadcast on social media.
“But collectively we are here because Mitch is a bitch and he owes the American people money … we are here to protest because the government, the system, have toppled us in different ways.”