Republican leader defends anime video that depicts him killing AOC: 'It’s a cartoon. Relax.'

Republican representative Paul Gosar shared an animated video of him killing his colleague, Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. While several members of Congress have called for Gosar to face consequences for his actions, House Republicans are yet to comment on whether they will discipline their party member. Meanwhile, Gosar has continued to defend the video. In a meme posted to Twitter, he claimed the video was "just a cartoon" and that AOC should "relax." He alleged that the video was not intended to "espouse violence," noting that it was "a symbolic portrayal of a fight over immigration policy," BuzzFeed News reports.

It has been over a day since Democrats first expressed concerns about Gosar's video, urging him to take it down. In a statement published on Tuesday night, he asserted that the video merely depicted arguments over policy in Congress. Gosar went on to attack Ocasio-Cortez’s stance on the issue of immigration policy. According to a Republican source, House GOP leadership reached out to Gosar's office and asked him to release a statement on the matter. However, it remains unclear if his statement was what they had in mind. 

Republican Representatives Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, and Elise Stefanik, who form the GOP's House leadership, did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment or answer questions related to disciplining Gosar. Democratic members of Congress, on the other hand, have publicly denounced the video, publicly calling for Republican leadership to condemn the video. Notably, Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the Ethics Committee and law enforcement to investigate the matter. She posted on Twitter, "Threats of violence against members of Congress and the President of the United States must not be tolerated. GOP leadership should join in condemning this horrific video and call on the Ethics Committee and law enforcement to investigate."

The video posted by Gosar is a take on the popular anime series "Attack on Titan." In the show, the protagonists try to save the world from giant Titans who eat humans. An altered clip, lasting about one a half minutes long, features an anime version of Gosar gliding through the air with swords attacking a giant who has Ocasio-Cortez’s face. Moments later, the same character wields his swords at a character made to look like President Joe Biden. Republican Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert also make an appearance in the video as giant-battling heroes.

Ocasio-Cortez flagged the video on Tuesday in a Twitter post. "So while I was en route to Glasgow, a creepy member I work with who fundraises for neo-Nazi groups shared a fantasy video of him killing me," she wrote. "And he’ll face no consequences because GOP leadership cheers him on with excuses. Fun Monday! Well, back to work because institutions do not protect women of color." In a meme responding to her call-out, Gosar likened AOC's complaints to a whining character, insinuating her stating, "Your cartoon anime scares me with your jet pack, flying, and light sabers." Another character responds, "It's a cartoon. Relax."