» House lawmaker won’t face censure for trial comments,

Party-lines vote occurs just before the Chauvin verdict.

WASHINGTON — House Republicans were defeated in their effort to force a vote that would censure Rep. Maxine Waters, D-calif., for calling on protesters to “get more active” and “get more confrontational” if a jury were to vote to acquit former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd.

The jury Tuesday convicted Chauvin of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Before news of the verdict, House Democratic leaders quickly came to Waters’ defense and denounced the resolution as a cynical political ploy to draw attention away from inflammatory and extremist remarks recently made by Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, and said Waters was calling for peaceful protests, not violence. They held firm in their support with all Democrats voting in favor of “tabling,” practically defeating, a censure resolution introduced by Minority Leader Kevin Mccarthy, R-calif., 216-210.

“It’s a totally phony effort to distract from what the Republicans know has been the rhetoric of so many of their members, which has in effect aided and abetted and condoned violent activity,” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD., told reporters Tuesday.

But the criticism of Waters’s comments over the weekend during a rally at Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, went beyond partisan political sniping. The judge in the Chauvin case, Peter Cahill, admonished her from the bench Monday. While dismissing a motion by the defense for a mistrial, he mentioned Waters’ statement and said it could be an issue during an appeal if Chauvin were found guilty, which he was Tuesday. Cahill criticized public officials for commenting on the case before a verdict.

“I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution, to respect a coequal branch of government,” he said. “Their failure to do so, I think, is abhorrent.”

President Joe Biden faced criticism Tuesday for weighing in on the case before the jury had reached a verdict.

“I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is, I think — it’s overwhelming in my view,” Biden said. “I wouldn’t say that unless the jury was sequestered now.”

The verdict in the trial came moments after the House voted against the resolution along party lines.

Minneapolis was bracing for unrest before the verdict. Buildings had been boarded up, and National Guard members fanned out in and around the city. Republicans have accused Waters of adding to the tensions with her comments, which she has said were about peaceful actions.

Republicans on Tuesday volleyed the hypocrisy charge back at Democrats, saying they have only moved to punish members from the opposing party, such as removing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA., from her committee assignments.

“Right now I haven’t heard any Democrats speaking out against what Maxine has said. It’s time for Democrats to speak out when they see it on both sides,” Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-LA., said Tuesday at a news conference. “They only want to speak on one side of the aisle, not on both, and that hypocrisy is starting to shine through.”

The action taken against Greene this year followed a series of comments Democrats said were extreme, including some they argued could lead to violence.

Scalise also defended Trump for comments he made at a rally before his supporters attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6.

AP U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters said Monday she is nonviolent and the GOP seized on her words to “fit their message.”