GOP Rep Paul Gosar Posts Anime Video Of Him Killing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) sparked outcry after he shared an edited anime video on Sunday that depicts him swinging swords at President Joe Biden and killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

The lawmaker, who has been linked to white nationalist and other extremist groups, tweeted the opening credits from the Japanese animated series “Attack on Titan” but altered to show himself in the place of the main character and with the show’s title in Japanese changed to “Attack on Immigrants.”

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In the video, Gosar is depicted fighting the show’s “Titans” with far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). In one scene, Ocasio-Cortez’s face is superimposed on one of the Titans. Gosar slashes its neck and kills it. In another scene, Gosar swings two swords at an enemy with Biden’s face edited onto it.

The clips are intermixed with real videos of U.S. Border Patrol officers corralling migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. The words “drugs,” “crime,” “poverty,” “money,” “gangs,” violence” and “trafficking” flashed across the screen along with blood-splatter effects.

The “Attack on Titan” opening credits are often parodied as part of a meme.

Any anime fans out there? pic.twitter.com/TxX4qiJhOi

â€" Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) November 7, 2021

Gosar has been a dedicated purveyor of conspiracy theories and lies about the 2020 election and was named by organizers of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as one of a group of GOP lawmakers who communicated with them in the weeks before the attack, according to a recent Rolling Stone report. Gosar reportedly suggested to organizers that they would be offered a “blanket pardon” by then-President Donald Trump.

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Gosar was denounced online for appearing to endorse violence with his Sunday tweet. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said Gosar was “more comfortable with violence than voting.”

Happy Monday in America, where @GOPLeader McCarthy’s colleague just posted a video of himself swinging two swords at President Biden. These blood thirsty losers are more comfortable with violence than voting. Keep exposing them. https://t.co/nlmEW9EHB4 pic.twitter.com/5BI895zvLG

â€" Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 8, 2021

Gosar’s digital director, Jessica Lycos, told The Washington Post in a statement that “we made an anime video” and “everyone needs to relax.”

“The left doesn’t get meme culture. They have no joy. They are not the future. It’s a cartoon. Gosar can’t fly and he does not own any light sabers. Nor was violence glorified. This is about fighting for truth,” she told the Post.

Scores of Twitter users commented that they had reported the video. According to Twitter’s rules, content that glorifies violence is prohibited. A Twitter spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether action will be taken over Gosar’s post.

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