House censures Rep. Gosar over violent cartoon

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., stood in the middle of the House floor on Wednesday afternoon while Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read a three-page censure resolution, one of the most severe punishments the House can offer short of expulsion. Lawmakers voted almost entirely on party lines, 223-207, to rebuke him for a violent anime video about a battle with other lawmakers. The House also removed the six-term congressman from the Natural Resources and the Oversight and Reform committees. The censure cited Jan. 6 protests and riots as evidence that violent rhetoric can lead to action. Several Republicans said the video was inappropriate but worried that stripping committee assignments creates a slippery slope to censorship.

What was the video about? Gosar posted the 90-second Japanese-style cartoon clip on Twitter to symbolize a battle over immigration policy and President Joe Biden’s spending bill. An animated character that looked like Gosar attacked cartoon versions of Biden and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., with a sword. Martial arts battles and mature themes characterize many anime shows, which are popular with teens. Gosar said the clip was not meant to be a threatening video but removed it from his Twitter page. He is the 24th House member to receive censure and the first one in more than a decade.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Harvest Prude’s Sift report on a House censure of President Donald Trump’s comments about four congresswomen.