John Kless, a 49-year-old man from Florida, has been charged with making threatening communications to members of Congress. Kless, who lives in Tamarac, Florida, reportedly left threatening voice mails, according to the Miami News Times. Making threatening communications is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
The three Congress members who received the threats were California Congressman Eric Swalwell, Detroit Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. He is also accused of making prior threatening calls to United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In the messages, Kless shared his hatred for Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and used racial slurs like “towel head” when discussing her.
“It was your Taliban b*tch, the one who opened up her f*cking towel-head mouth about how ‘some people did it,'” Kless reportedly said. “You know what? She’s lucky she’s just getting death threats, b*tch. So are you. All right? You’re lucky they’re just threats, motherf*cker, ’cause the day when the bell tolls, wh*re, and this country comes to a war, there will be no more threats. Your life will be on the f*cking line.”
He continued his expletive-laden rant:
No one wants to f*cking hear you or that other little whore. I’d like to take that bitch and throw her right off the Empire State Building, that f*cking wh*re. Tell her to shut her f*cking mouth. You f*cking f*ck her all the time probably. So tell her to shut the f*ck up, all right? From one towel head to another. You stanking, f*cking, smelly, f*cking bitch. F*ck off. I wish all of you the worst. You can go f*ck off in life. F*ck you, and f*ck Mohammed too, you b*tch f*cking c*nt.
The racism continued when Kless was talking to Booker, as he continuously called the Senator the n-word. In addition, Kless reportedly took offense to Swalwell’s stance for gun control and threatened to kill him if he ever came “after our guns.”
In today’s political climate, the news is disappointing but sadly not shocking. The country is as divided as ever, but hopefully, everyone will be able to come together soon.