House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) blamed "unhinged rhetoric" for Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) being run off the road Thursday morning while he was in Washington, D.C.
"What happened to Max this morning is yet another outrageous example of unhinged rhetoric inspiring unstable people to threaten and attack elected officials who are serving their communities," Johnson posted on X. "We must turn down the temperature in this country."
Earlier in the day, Miller posted on his X account that he and his family were forced off the road in Rocky River by "a person who proceeded to show a Palestinian flag." Miller, who is Jewish, called the event an act of "blatant antisemitic violence."
"I have filed a police report with Capitol Police and the local police department. We know who this person is and he will face justice," Miller's post reads.
The event occurred just over a week after a Democratic state lawmaker in Minneapolis and her husband were assassinated. Another Democratic lawmaker was wounded in a related shooting.
The shootings sparked debate about the heated political rhetoric in American politics. President Donald Trump refused to call Minnesota Governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz after the shooting, saying it would "waste time."
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Elon Musk both shared incendiary posts on X following the shooting. Lee was confronted by a colleague and later deleted his post.