January 1, Christmas Chaos: Law Enforcement Visits Unnerve GOP Homes

A pair of Republican lawmakers received unexpected visits from local police while celebrating Christmas this year, the result of alleged swatting calls.

The first reported incident took place at the New York residence of Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY), the lawmaker said on X, formerly Twitter. Williams was home with his family for the Christmas holiday when five police vehicles arrived to assess if there was a situation that required their intervention.

I was just swatted.

This is like the 8th time.

On Christmas with my family here.

My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t have to deal with this.

I appreciate them so much and my family and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ!

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 25, 2023

The GOP lawmaker did not say what police were called to his home for, only referring to the situation as a “swatting” incident. He revealed in a subsequent post that authorities were investigating the matter and thanked police for their work.

“Our home was swatted this afternoon,” Williams wrote. “Thanks to the Deputies and Troopers who contacted me before arriving. They left with homemade cookies and spiced nuts! Merry Christmas everyone!”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said later Monday that she was “swatted” while at home in Georgia with her family for Christmas.

Police were sent to her residence on Christmas day after a false crime had been reported to authorities.

“I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here,” Greene wrote on X on Monday. “My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t have to deal with this. I appreciate them so much and my family and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ!”

The Georgia congresswoman did not specify what crime was called in to police, nor did she say which police department stopped by her home, though she referenced a death threat she recently received in a series of posts on social media.

A spokesperson for Greene did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment on the incident. A spokeswoman for the Rome City Police Department said in a statement that authorities received a call through the local suicide hotline that prompted a response.

“As we were preparing to respond, we reached out to her security detail, and it was determined that there wasn’t any emergency,” Kelly Madden, the department’s public information officer, said, adding that “this is not the first incident.”

Greene said on X that she received a death threat on Thursday, sharing screenshots of messages allegedly sent to her by a user on the platform. It is not clear if this threat was related to Monday’s incident.

She said she “received this death threat where this man is saying I will be shot in the head and skinned to make a ‘parasol’ making a reference to Gein, who was a psychopath killer who would make things out of his victim’s skin.”

The GOP lawmaker also shared a screenshot of an email she received from the U. S. Capitol Police about the threats, which shows how the suspect in the matter responded to questioning from officers about his comments.

Why It Matters (op-ed)

The recent “swatting” incidents involving Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) demonstrate a concerning trend of harassment and intimidation against Republican lawmakers. Such tactics are not only dangerous but also a waste of police resources.

It’s critical to understand that regardless of one’s political beliefs, targeting individuals and their families with false emergency calls is unacceptable. We must foster a culture of respectful political discourse and condemn these malicious actions.

Let’s use this opportunity to unite against harassment and stand for the principles of civility and freedom of speech that form the foundation of our great nation.

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