Republican Politician In Montana Claims Socialists Should Be Shot Or Jailed

The Republican Party moved swiftly to condemn the comments made Friday about socialists by Montana State Representative Rodney Garcia. Speaking at a gathering for a Republican gathering, Garcia erroneously claimed that the U.S. Constitution called for socialists to be jailed or shot.

“They’re enemies of the free state,” Garcia said. “What do we do with our enemies in war? In Vietnam, (Afghanistan), all those. What did we do?”

In an interview the following day with the Billings-Gazette, Garcia stood by his comments. He could not, however, show where such a law is found in the Constitution.

“The Montana Republican Party wholeheartedly condemns the comment that was made and under no circumstance is violence against someone with opposing political views acceptable,” said Spenser Merwin, executive director of the Montana Republican Party. “It’s disappointing that this isolated incident took away from the weekend’s events which showcased the strength of our statewide candidates and the importance of the upcoming election.”

Garcia made his comments following a speech by former Secretary of the Interior and U.S. House of Representatives member for Montana, Ryan Zinke. Zinke reportedly attempted to get off the topic, saying “You know, Montana’s a great state.” Garcia responded by reiterating his belief that something must be done.

“I wish Rep. Garcia would continue to focus on the issues rather than this constant worry over things that are somewhat ludicrous,” said Amelia Marquez, a Democratic Socialist who ran against Garcia in the 2018 election.

A frequent lightning rod for controversy, Garcia claimed on a conservative talk show in 2019 that child protection workers “do not protect the kids, they kidnap them.”

In 2018, Garcia was reportedly involved in a domestic incident with his ex-wife which resulted in his arrest and conviction.

“Rodney Garcia has brazenly flaunted his conviction for a domestic dispute, called single moms deadbeats, and was only elected because he created an illegal campaign cash scam,” said Robyn Driscoll, party chair for the Montana Democratic Party. “Now he's publicly calling for people to be shot.”