Democratic Candidate Avoids Denouncing Political Violence at Rally

Taylor Wetatch, a Democratic candidate for the congressional seat currently held by Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa, participated in a No Kings rally this past weekend. During the event, he was asked a straightforward question: “Do you condemn political violence?”

Instead of directly addressing the query, Wetatch replied, “Today we have a great day with people who come together to celebrate and oppose authoritarianism in a peaceful way.” The questioner persisted, asking whether he believed political violence could ever be justified.

Wetatch chose not to elaborate further, continuing to walk away while maintaining an arm around a female companion and gazing into the distance.

“No response?” the questioner pressed again.

Wetatch’s non-response comes as he appears to be gaining traction in his campaign. Notably, Miller-Meeks won her seat in 2024 by a very slim margin—206,955 votes (50 percent) to her opponent’s 206,156 votes (49.8 percent).

Emily Tuttle, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), criticized Wetatch’s silence, stating, “Refusing to condemn political violence is dangerous and disqualifying. Rather than standing up for what is right, he is pandering to people on the margins.”

The reasons for Wetatch’s reluctance to denounce political violence remain uncertain. He is not the only candidate taking this approach, as Democratic representative Stephanie Shaheen from New Hampshire’s 1st District also avoided a similar question earlier this month. Despite an opportunity to respond, she brushed off the reporter with a vague, “Have a great night.”

The questioner pressed on, asking, “Do you think we need to tone down the rhetoric right now? Do you condemn political violence? That seems like a very simple question, ma’am.” Shaheen continued to ignore the question, eventually getting into her car in silence.

At the No Kings protests, referred to as “Hate America” rallies by House Speaker Mike Johnson, some attendees displayed a troubling comfort with political violence. One incident involved a woman who was filmed seemingly mocking the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Social media backlash ensued, particularly because the woman is an elementary school teacher in Chicago.

In the video, the individual appeared to use hand gestures simulating a gun and uttered the word “bang,” a move interpreted by some as a mockery of Kirk’s assassination. One observer noted that the individual recording the incident was in a vehicle displaying support for Kirk.