Wilson stays out of D.C. after receiving threats

U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson stayed in her Miami-area district after getting threats related to her sparring with President Donald Trump over the treatment of the widow of a soldier killed in Niger. “It is only because of these extraordinary circumstances that to her dismay she did not travel to Washington to vote,” her spokeswoman said, adding that the calls “have run the gamut from racist and rude to outright menacing.”

Another feud amid the most acrimonious political season in modern history has sparked another round of threats against an elected official.

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., skipped votes in Washington this week amid a wave of threats against her since she sparred with President Donald Trump over the treatment of the widow of a soldier killed in Niger.

The 74-year-old lawmaker represents a Miami-area district and is now among dozens of lawmakers to face threats this year. She was riding in a limousine with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson this month when Trump called to convey his condolences. But the content and tone of the call prompted Wilson to complain to reporters, sparking a feud that has stretched into this week as Trump yet again defended his actions during the call.

In the wake of her criticisms, Wilson “spent this week in the district because of concerns about her safety in the aftermath of the feud that President Trump started with her,” the congresswoman’s spokeswoman, Joyce Jones, said in a statement.

Wilson is now being protected by a security detail in Miami, and U.S. Capitol Police are monitoring her office on Capitol Hill, Jones said. She declined to specify the threats against Wilson, “but the calls have run the gamut from racist and rude to outright menacing.”

“It is only because of these extraordinary circumstances that to her dismay she did not travel to Washington to vote,” Jones added. “The congresswoman considers her ability to vote on issues that impact the American public to be one of the most meaningful tools that she can use to represent her constituents and make their voices heard.”

Eva Malecki, a Capitol Police spokeswoman, declined to comment on Wilson’s case, saying: “We do not comment on ongoing investigations.”

A wave of threats against public officials has prompted congressional security officials to review and follow up on thousands of threatening messages to members of both parties. This summer, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was shot and nearly killed by a gunman who showed up at a congressional baseball practice in Virginia.

Wilson is at least the second black Democratic member of Congress to face threats this year for criticizing Trump. In May, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, criticized Trump’s decision to dismiss former FBI director James Comey and called for the president’s impeachment. In response, Green received a wave of threats.

Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said its members are “very concerned about Congresswoman Wilson’s safety. In the context of the Republican baseball practice shooting in June, the Las Vegas concert shooting this month, and increasing threats against members of the Congressional Black Caucus, it is unfortunate that the President, and most recently his Chief of Staff, have contributed to this climate by saying things that are demonstrably not true.”