The Venn diagram of pundits insisting AOC was being over dramatic & of pundits who helped normalize the violent rhetoric is a circle & I need us to stop pretending that their hands are clean. They would have cheered a lynching & they're saying that loud & clear.

Some of the people who stormed the building definitely meant to kill people. That's not even up for debate. They said it into the camera. So, ask yourself what value there is in trying to invalidate AOC or anyone else talking about the fear? They expressed no sympathy or remorse

They are invested in dehumanizing AOC & everyone else that was a target. That still is a target. But what are they protecting here? The hate? It's not the party or the process. It's not the future. Hell for many of them I've seen it's not even their career. So what's the point?

The only answer is that they don't want anyone to ask how much they have (and continue to) normalize & espouse violent rhetoric. They know what they are encouraging. They just hope you don't. This is the "equal rights, equal fights" crowd & what they really hate is equality.

But more than that they hate women. And their real fear is that AOC can do what Black women & other women they target did not...engender some measure of accountability inside the Right. The way racism is set up they know Cori Bush & others won't trigger it. But AOC might...