Jennifer Carroll draws parallels between Portland protests, 9/11 attacks

Jennifer Carroll
Carroll made the comments at a Donald Trump campaign event Friday.

A former Lieutenant Governor drew comparisons Friday between the civil unrest in Portland and other American cities and the 9/11 terror attacks.

The Donald Trump campaign held a regional “law and order” roundtable in Jacksonville on Sept. 11, with former Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll hosting a group that included a Congressman and the local county party chair.

In an anecdotal intro, Carroll noted she was giving remarks in 2001 as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs when Gov. Jeb Bush was whisked out of the room nineteen years ago this morning.

“The Islamic terrorists of that time, they had no fear,” Carroll said. “Unfortunately, what has crept up to wreak havoc on the home front is domestic terrorists.”

Soon enough, however, Carroll turned her attentions to bad actors closer to home: “ANTIFA terrorist mobs.”

“This has been allowed to perpetuate for over 100 days in Portland and other cities in America,” Carroll said, with law enforcement, the elderly, “innocent bystanders” and “people dining outdoors” all targeted.

“Democratic leaders in those cities from Seattle to New York have allowed this lawless behavior to continue.”

“We’re seeing domestic terrorism playing on our shores,” Carroll said, “and we cannot allow this lawless behavior to continue and be a norm in our society.”

Congressman John Rutherford, a former three-term Jacksonville Sheriff, concurred with Carroll on the “civil unrest” posing an existential threat.

“We cannot have this kind of lawlessness across this country,” the Congressman, pursuing a third term in D.C., said.

The Congressman also bemoaned Democratic “radicals” looking to get rid of “qualified immunity,” a protection from lawsuits for officers who are following department rules. Those radicals, he added, also want to “dismantle our Constitutional institutions” and “destroy this economy.”

Duval County Republican Party chair Dean Black described “what we see going on in a lot of cities,” with “rioting, looting, mayhem and Democratic leaders are making excuses, encouraging that behavior.”

“Pure lawlessness,” he called it, urging the media to “quit making excuses” for the action in the streets.

“Get the media to stand up as one body … and inform the public that violence has no place in politics,” Black said. “That shouldn’t be too much to ask.”

It is uncertain when the media’s next meeting is, however, or what the agenda will be when they all get together.

Across Florida, Trump surrogates have been making similar local market messages in competitive regions, including Thursday’s appearance by state Sen. Manny Diaz Jr.  and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez in Miami, hitting complementary themes.

Duval County was reliably red in previous eras, but the Democratic registration advantage started to resonate in 2018, when Andrew Gillum and Bill Nelson both carried the county despite losing the state.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


6 comments

  • S.B. ANTHONY

    September 11, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    And no parallel between foreign terrorist attacks like 9-11 and the domestic terrorist attack on Americans by the “president,” who’s killed over 200,000 Americans with a mismanaged pandemic crisis and his constant barrage of lies about the crisis?

  • James Robert Miles

    September 11, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    Typical “conservative” mindset, They just don’t get it! Obviously no comparison.

  • Frankie M.

    September 11, 2020 at 10:15 pm

    Aren’t these the same people that publicly rebuke the Chinese government’s suppression of pro-Democratic protestors while denouncing those in Portland? I guess you can have it both ways.

  • Pedro

    September 12, 2020 at 6:50 am

    Of course, looting and violent protest are totally wrong and unacceptable. Joe Biden rightfully condemned this. These pro-Trump Republicans, however, have destroyed our great country. They should all be voted out this November along with Trump.

  • Douglas Adkins

    September 12, 2020 at 9:11 am

    The stock market is on the rise, the COVID19 pandemic is fading away and the 401K accounts of most Americans are on the rebound. The fact remains many in the silent majority are revolted by the disgusting violence that the Democrats embrace as protests and the failure to focus on the source of this pandemic – China. The President has made it clear vote by mail is a problem and today we learn from Pam Beach County that indeed people who have moved to other states can and do vote twice, so from a very simple analysis, he is again telling the truth. We need to support the return to rule of law. Thank you Jennifer Carroll for your leadership. https://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/investigations/florida-wont-cross-check-voter-data-in-information-center-with-30-other-states-for-2020-election

  • Sonja Fitch

    September 13, 2020 at 4:54 am

    Omg the contrast is totally missed by the “political “ leader! Vote blue!

Comments are closed.


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