GOP congressman says he was "run off the road" by man with Palestinian flag
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Rep. Max Miller leaves a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 19, 2024. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said Thursday he contacted the Capitol Police after being "run off the road" by a man displaying a Palestinian flag while he was driving in his congressional district.
Why it matters: The alleged incident comes as lawmakers are still reeling from the shooting of two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses last weekend that left one couple dead and another hospitalized.
- The attack has left members of Congress in both parties in a state of heightened alarm about their personal security and pushing for more Capitol Police protection.
Driving the news: "Today I was run off the road ... and the life of me and my family was threatened by a person who proceeded to show a Palestinian flag before taking off," Miller said in a post on social media.
- Miller said in an accompanying video that the man initially "decided to lay on his horn," but then ran him off the road "when he couldn't get my attention." The man also yelled "death to Israel," he said.
- Miller, who is Jewish and pro-Israel, has been open about his fears of antisemitic violence since the onset of the war in Gaza, telling Axios in 2023 that he carries a weapon for self-protection.
State of play: Miller claimed to know the identity of the alleged assailant, though he didn't name them in the video.
- "We know exactly who you are ... and the police are going to pay you a visit," he said in the video, writing in his post that he filed a report with the Capitol Police.
- A Capitol Police spokesperson did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
What they're saying: House Democratic leadership, in a joint statement, re-upped their call to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to allocate additional funds for members' security after the Minnesota shootings.
- "We condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Congressman Max Miller and his family and are thankful they are safe," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.).
- "The rise in political violence in this country is unacceptable," they continued. "This is a moment of crisis that requires Congress to act decisively in order to ensure the safety of every single Member."
- A spokesperson for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
