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Rep. Maxine Waters refuses to be intimidated.
The Democrat from California was the intended recipient of two suspicious packages that were intercepted on Wednesday. The packages, which potentially contained explosive devices, were similar to those sent to CNN and several prominent Democrats, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, officials said.
In the wake of the bomb threats, Waters had a powerful message for her supporters — and anyone who might try to “intimidate” her: “I ain’t scared,” the congresswoman told Blavity.
“They would like to intimidate us. Of course, we must be wise, we must not be foolish … but we should never stop the struggle and the fight for justice and equality in this country. I don’t know whether the bombs are real or not, but we should not crawl under bed, close the doors, not go out, be afraid to go to rallies,” Waters told the outlet. “We have to keep doing what we’re doing in order to make this country right, that’s what I intend to do.”
The FBI confirmed on Wednesday night that Waters was one of several high-profile Democrats targeted with the series of suspicious packages. According to CNN, one suspected mail bomb addressed to Waters was discovered at a congressional mail sorting facility outside Washington. A second was found at a Los Angeles postal facility.
Earlier on Wednesday, Waters had confirmed that her office had received word about at least one of the suspicious packages. “I unequivocally condemn any and all acts of violence and terror,” she said in a statement.
Speaking to Blavity about the threats, Waters suggested that President Donald Trump ― who has encouraged his supporters to “knock the crap” out of protesters and recently praised a lawmaker for assaulting a reporter ― “should take responsibility for the kind of violence that we are seeing.”
“I think the president of the United States has been dog-whistling to his constituency, making them believe that their problems are caused by those people over there. And I think they are acting out what they believe the president wants them to do and the way he wants them to act,” said Waters.
″[Trump] in his own way really does do a lot to promote violence,” the congresswoman said.
At a Wednesday night rally, Trump condemned those responsible for the bomb scare. “No nation can succeed that tolerates violence or the threat of violence as a method of political intimidation, coercion or control,” the president said. “Such conduct must be fiercely opposed and firmly prosecuted.”
In almost the same breath, however, Trump bashed one of his favorite targets, the media, for being partially responsible for the division in the country.
“As part of a larger national effort to bridge our divides and bring people together, the media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories,” Trump said. “They’ve got to stop, bring people together.”
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