Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is defending herself after receiving criticism from Republicans for her remarks about what protesters should do if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is not found guilty in connection with the death George Floyd.
She said on Saturday protesters need to become “more confrontational” if their demands are not met.
Waters received a wave of backlash from Republicans including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
Greene announced she would be introducing a “resolution to expel [Maxine Waters] from Congress for her continual incitement of violence on innocent American people.”
McCarthy also accused Waters of “inciting violence in Minneapolis” and warned if “Pelosi doesn’t act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week.”
During an interview with The Grio, Waters stressed, “I am nonviolent.”
She continued, “Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent … any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word, so they do it and they send a message to all of the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Boys and all of that, how this is a time for [Republicans] to raise money on [Democrats] backs.”
Describing the Republican strategy, Waters said, “This is a time for [Republicans] to keep telling our constituents that [Democrats] are the enemy and they do that time and time again.”
She added, “But that does not deter me from speaking truth to power. I am not intimidated. I am not afraid, and I do what needs to be done.”
Not everyone believes Waters should apologize for her remarks.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNN’s Annie Grayer on Monday Waters should “absolutely not” apologize for her remarks.
“Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the Civil Rights movement. I myself think we should take our lead from the George Floyd family. They’ve handled this with great dignity and no ambiguity or lack of misinterpretation by the other side,” she said.
