Arizona Lawmaker Calls for Jayapal's Execution

Arizona Republican state Representative John Gillette posted on X that Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal should be “tried, convicted and hanged” after reacting to a short, out-of-context clip from her March “Resistance Lab” session. The full video and reporting by multiple outlets show Jayapal urged nonviolent, “strike-ready” protest and did not call for overthrowing the government. Gillette has a history of inflammatory rhetoric, including defending January 6 rioters as “political prisoners” and making Islamophobic statements, and he has faced ethics complaints that were not pursued. News organizations reported Gillette declined to answer questions about the post. Observers said the episode highlights increasing political threats to elected officials and the role of clipped social media posts in amplifying mischaracterizations of protest speech.