Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was eating at a restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky when he was approached and harassed by a small cadre of angry hecklers. TMZ obtained a video of the apparent ringleader screaming at the GOP leader, "why don't you get out of here? Why don't you leave the entire country?" near the tail end of the confrontation. That shouting came after the man reportedly "slammed his fists down on McConnell's table, grabbed his doggie bag and threw the food out the door of the restaurant," also berating the Senator for "killing people with this views." Watch:
Unmentioned in TMZ's story is the apparent reaction of most other diners at the establishment. Though one woman yelled "ditch Mitch" (it sounds like she was the one doing the filming, later announcing, "I'm gonna sell [this] to TMZ"), others stood up to the agitator. "Leave him alone," someone shot back. "Nobody cares," another chimed in, as the heckler carried on about his grievances. Several female patrons waved her hands at the man, gesturing at him to leave the building. Others can be heard expressing shock over how the agitator grabbed McConnell's leftovers and threw them out the door. Notice that throughout the brouhaha, McConnell sat quietly with his hands folded, reportedly shaking hands with some of his supporters afterward. His wife, US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, was a different story. The clip shows her jawboning with the brow-beater, just as she took on protesters after an event in Washington, DC over the summer; she's no shrinking violet. Here's the restaurant's statement on the incident:
We deeply regret the incident that took place at our restaurant this weekend. We strongly believe everyone should feel welcome and safe in our restaurants. It was Friday night in the middle of the rush and our staff was caught off guard as the incident developed quickly. Once we were aware of the situation we acted quickly and efficiently to assure that everyone was safe. For 14 years, we have properly handled every situation that has arisen with no complaints of any kind. We will continue to do so, training our staff and management better. Havana Rumba has always been a welcoming place to all who want to enjoy delicious Cuban cuisine and we are committed to continue bringing that to our Louisville community.
And the reaction from McConnell's office:
The Leader and Sec. Chao enjoyed their meal in Louisville last night and they appreciate those who spoke up against incivility. They hope other patrons weren’t too inconvenienced by left-wing tantrums. As the Leader often says, the Senate will not be intimidated by the antics of far-left protesters.
A growing list of Republican officials have been publicly harassed by left-wing agitators in recent months, from the Homeland Security Secretary, to Sen. Ted Cruz, to McConnell. Other GOP office-holders have received threats, or have been physically assaulted, or even shot. In decrying the mob, President Trump hasn't helped matters by jokingly praising a GOP Congressman's violent outburst against a reporter; he also egged on skirmishes at his campaign rallies, feeding into the Left's deliberate confrontations and cynical guerrilla tactics. Republicans and conservatives must not embrace or mimic the Left's misconduct, which is why this angry swarm against Nancy Pelosi in Florida was roundly decried by many on the Right (including high-ranking lawmakers):
Mob rushes Nancy Pelosi on her way into a campaign stop calling her a "F**king communist!"
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) October 19, 2018
Security had to hold back the anti-communism protesters as a frightened Pelosi was rushed into a doorway.
Mob chanted "Communism sucks!" while beating on the doorhttps://t.co/5EAgqOq3Ma pic.twitter.com/SqMlPKYKfx
A number of mainstream figures on the Left have endorsed or defended unhinged conduct to intimidate Republicans -- including Maxine Waters, Cory Booker, and Hillary Clinton. Gloria Allred's daughter defended the McConnell incident above, ridiculously citing his "unspeakable acts" as justification, while another Clinton ally said it was "fine" to go after McConnell because of his decision to invoke the Biden Rule on Merrick Garland in 2016, finally answering years of unilateral Democratic escalations in the judicial confirmation wars:
Here is Obama's former deputy secretary of state, Philippe Reines, excusing, and perhaps even promoting, attacking Mitch McConnell while he eats with his wife in a restaurant. McConnell "got away with murder" on Merrick Garland, so "this is fine." pic.twitter.com/6A70d9hIqR
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 21, 2018