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Tapper Asks Dem Rep if Left Has Gone Too Far With Rhetoric After GOP Shooting

June 15, 2017

CNN host Jake Tapper asked Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.) on Wednesday whether the left has gone too far with its anti-Republican rhetoric after a gunman opened fire at a GOP congressional baseball practice.

Swalwell, a player for the Democrat congressional baseball team, sat down with Tapper to discuss the tragic shooting that occurred Wednesday morning.

"You never think something like this could happen. We see police cars out there from time to time. We always joke, like, who would come attack us this early in the morning? And now you see why they're there," Swalwell said.

Tapper asked Swalwell about the gunman, James T. Hodgkinson. Hodgkinson was a staunch supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and often wrote about his hatred of President Donald Trump on social media.

"The shooter's Facebook feed was full of anti-Republican rhetoric, anti-Trump rhetoric, much of it reposted. He wrote, 'Trump is a traitor. It's time to destroy Trump and company.' Also, 'Trump is guilty and should go to jail for treason,'" Tapper said.

"Do you worry that the left has gone too far in the rhetoric?" Tapper asked.

Swalwell condemned the violence on both sides.

"I worry that anyone would think that the way to express themselves would be through violence, and the beauty of this country is our protections of speech, and sometimes we see from time to time on both sides it turns into violence," Swalwell said. "And it should be roundly condemned whoever the person is, whether they're a Republican, Democrat, or independent."

Published under: CNN , Congress , Jake Tapper