Congresswoman Responds To Video

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Well, there you have it, folks — another episode of “Rules for Thee, But Not for Me” starring Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman and her merry band of professional protesters-turned-public servants. When your political career starts slipping into irrelevance, apparently the next best move is to try and go viral by storming a federal detention center and then playing the victim when law enforcement does its job. Classic.

Let’s rewind. Watson-Coleman, joined by Reps. Rob Menendez and LaMonica McIver, along with Newark’s very own Mayor Ras Baraka, decided they were entitled to conduct a little “oversight” at Delaney Hall — a facility housing criminal illegal aliens. Not by scheduling a visit like normal adults who understand how government oversight actually works, mind you. No, they waited until the gate opened for a transport vehicle and then — like something out of a low-budget protest documentary — rushed the facility, bypassing security and causing a scene.

And now, after causing said scene, Watson-Coleman runs to CNN claiming ICE is cooking up “manufactured” body cam footage to make them look like the instigators. That’s a bold move, considering there are multiple witnesses and a soon-to-be-released video showing who did what. But sure, blame the body cameras. They’re the problem. Not the fact that a sitting Congresswoman and two other elected officials thought it was perfectly acceptable to barge into a secure facility and interfere with law enforcement.

Even DHS had to step in with the adult statement of the day: Members of Congress are not above the law. That seems like a pretty basic tenet of democracy, but in today’s circus of political theatrics, some of these folks genuinely believe their press passes double as a get-out-of-jail-free card. The most amusing part? DHS even said they would have arranged a tour if the members had just asked. Imagine that — following protocol. But that doesn’t play well on camera, does it?

Then there’s the moment Mayor Baraka gets arrested — and suddenly the story shifts to how he was on “public property” and shouldn’t have been touched. That’s cute. But according to the U.S. Attorney’s office, he was already being placed under arrest inside the facility, and only left when he was told the cuffs were coming. Not exactly a peaceful transition of authority.

Let’s not forget the kicker: Watson-Coleman admitting she and Rep. Menendez tried to “shield” Baraka during the arrest. Let that sink in. Federal law enforcement officers are trying to carry out a lawful arrest, and elected officials are physically interfering. But sure, go on national television and claim that the officers were the aggressive ones. That they were “large and weaponized,” as if ICE agents are supposed to be handing out hugs and lollipops instead of handling people interfering with criminal detention operations.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a proper meltdown without invoking the Ghost of Trump’s Past. According to Watson-Coleman, this entire incident — from ICE following basic law enforcement protocol to the release of body cam footage — is all part of a grand Trump-inspired conspiracy. Apparently, “he gave them permission to lie.”

Yes, that’s the takeaway here. Not that you trespassed. Not that you escalated a situation. Not that your behavior was objectively inappropriate for a public official. But that Donald Trump still lives rent-free in your head and therefore is somehow responsible for your choices.

This isn’t oversight. This is political theater dressed up as civil disobedience, with the bonus twist of trying to gaslight the public before the receipts drop. If ICE releases that footage — and they should — we’ll see who was really lying. But let’s be real: we already know.

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