McCarthy to introduce resolution to censure Maxine Waters

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is introducing a resolution to censure Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters, after she encouraged protesters in Minnesota to “stay on the street” and “get more confrontational” if they don’t see a guilty verdict returned in the Derek Chauvin trial regarding the death of George Floyd. 

Waters made the comments during a protest over the weekend, ahead of a verdict in the trial of Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Waters told reporters Chauvin should be found guilty. 

“I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,” she said.  

Her comments also came in the wake of the death of Daunte Wright, a Black man killed by a police officer in Minnesota. 

When reporters asked Waters what should happen if justice isn’t served in the courts in the Chavuin trial, Waters responded: “We gotta stay on the street. And we’ve got to get more active. We’ve got to get more confrontational. They’ve got to know that we mean business.” 

In remarks to The Grio on Monday, she did not back down from her remarks and said she is “nonviolent.” She accused Republicans of twisting her words and using them as fundraising opportunity.

 “Republicans will jump on any word, any line and try to make it fit their message and their cause for denouncing us and denying us, basically calling us violent … any time they see an opportunity to seize on a word, so they do it and they send a message to all of the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Boys and all of that, how this is a time for [Republicans] to raise money on [Democrats] backs,” Waters told The Grio. 

 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also defended Waters’ comments, stating that Waters had “talked about confrontation in the manner of the Civil Rights movement,” and she said, “No, I don’t think she should apologize.”

But Republicans have accused Waters of inflaming tensions.

“This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence,” McCarthy tweeted Monday evening. “Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waters’ behavior—that’s why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments.”

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said she would introduce a resolution to kick Waters out of the House, a highly unlikely scenario. 

The jury is currently deliberating in the Chauvin trial. 

Waters has served in Congress since 1991 and is the chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee. 

Nikole Killion and Rebecca Kaplan contributed to this report.