Mike Collins, a first-term GOP congressman from Georgia (bio here), made a splash two months ago with a sick Kennedy joke.
Responding to RFK Jr.’s claim “a worm ate part of my brain” (story here), Collins joked, “You either die a Kennedy with a hole in the brain, or live long enough to become a Kennedy with a hole in the brain” (see story here). Nobody was amused.
This jackass should resign from Congress for the good of the country, but not because of his bad jokes. In response to the July 13, 2024, attempt on Trump’s life at a Pennsylvania rally, Collins said, “Joe Biden sent the orders.” (Read story here.)
That’s not funny. It’s like yelling “fire!” in a crowded theater. There are people crazy enough to believe it, especially coming from a member of Congress. And then, enraged, reciprocate with an attempt on Biden’s life. Collins is literally inciting a presidential assassination.
J. D. Vance, Ohio GOP senator, “was scorched by political experts and onlookers” after he, too, tried to blame the shooting on Biden (story here). He tweeted,
This isn’t the first time. While campaigning for his Senate seat, Vance blamed Biden for drug trafficking and claimed he was trying to “kill a bunch of MAGA voters” with fentanyl (see story here). Of course, all of this is screamingly hypocritical. Biden didn’t saturate America with guns and make them easily accessible to deranged people like this shooter. But more crucially, at a time of heightened partisan tensions, it’s reckless and irresponsible. These two knee-jerks sound like drunks in a bar. Congress would be a better place without them.