LE CLAIRE, Iowa – On Sunday, former U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling, Republican candidate for Congress in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, urged President Trump to declare war on domestic terrorism in the aftermath of the horrific attacks that took place in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend.
“First, I’d like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims in these awful massacres. My family will be praying hard for you over the next several days. Your fellow citizens stand with you during this incredibly difficult time,” Schilling said.
“Today I am calling on President Trump to declare a national war on domestic terrorism and create a joint task force to address this crisis with sincerity and urgency. It’s time for our federal agencies to more aggressively identify and counteract domestic terror cells and disrupt radicalization pipelines. Many of these shootings have not been isolated events – the shooters frequently cite each other as inspirations in their sick, twisted manifestos. By definition, these are domestic terrorist attacks. We should be taking these threats to national security as seriously as we would take threats from hostile foreign entities,” he added.
“We also cannot be afraid to call out terrorism by name. White supremacist violence is terrorism. Antifa violence is terrorism. Every act of political violence is terrorism, whether it be a white supremacist shooting up a Walmart or a leftist shooting up Congressmen on a baseball field. We must never tolerate such acts — even passively. Terrorism must be condemned openly and forcefully by both political parties. We must stand together in a united front against any hateful ideology that would dare to promote violence against our neighbors. If you’re plotting terrorist attacks on Americans, your days are numbered,” Schilling concluded.
