- A man was arrested for allegedly threatening Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, and forcing him off the road.
- Miller described the incident as “blatant antisemitic violence,” involving death threats and a Palestinian flag.
- Incidents of threats towards lawmakers and public officials have risen significantly, as exemplified by recent attacks on Minnesota state lawmakers.
Authorities in Ohio have arrested a man who allegedly threatened Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, in an incident where Miller described being “run off the road.”
The threat to Miller comes as tensions are high and the number of politically motivated attacks are increasing across the political spectrum. Last weekend, two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses were shot, leaving two dead and two seriously injured.
The incident occurred on Thursday while the Republican congressman was driving through his congressional district. Miller shared news about the encounter in a video posted on X.
“Some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn’t get my attention, to show me a Palestinian flag, not to mention death to Israel, death to me, that he wanted to kill me and my family,” Miller said in the video.
The Jewish congressman referred to the incident as “blatant antisemitic violence.”
Miller reported the encounter to Capitol Police and the Rocky River Police Department in Ohio. Rocky River is a suburb of Cleveland, per CBS.
The man who was arrested in connection with the incident so far faces state charges, but he could also face federal charges, CNN reported. His name has not been released. Investigators with U.S. Capitol Police traveled to Ohio to investigate.
Following the incident, House Democratic leadership quickly denounced it and tied it to a “rise in political violence” in the country, per Politico.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Congressman Max Miller and his family and are thankful they are safe,” the statement by Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar read, per Politico. “The rise in political violence in this country is unacceptable.”
Threats against U.S. lawmakers
Capitol Police and the U.S. Marshals Service have reported that threats against lawmakers and other public officials, such as prosecutors and judges, have risen significantly in recent years, per CBS. Capitol police said that last year it investigated 9,474 “concerning statements and direct threats” against members of Congress and their families, an increase from 8,000 the year before.
The attacks against Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman and their spouses amplified these concerns.