Townhall editor Julio Rosas strongly criticized U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) in response to the congressman’s attempt to undermine Rosas’ credibility and downplay the extent of violence during Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and riots in 2020.
During the hearing of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability, Rosas provided testimony on Tuesday. As a reporter who reported from the scene, he extensively covered the violent protests and riots that took place in prominent cities like Portland, Minneapolis, and New York City in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.
Look at the disrespect Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY) shows to @Julio_Rosas11 as a witness, somebody who was on the ground at violent protests from Charlottesville to Kenosha, and wouldn't even let him respond.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 16, 2023
What an absolute punk. pic.twitter.com/Q40GBlldMy
During the hearing, Rep. Goldman accused the reporter of attempting to deceive the committee regarding left-wing violence and dismissed the existence of Antifa. He criticized Julio Rosas for supposedly considering himself an authority on organized extremist activities, contrasting this with the statement of the FBI director who described Antifa as an ideology rather than an organization. Goldman expressed his disbelief in the FBI director’s statement and belittled Rosas’ position as a senior writer at Townhall, conveniently ignoring Rosas’ service in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Goldman referenced a statement made by FBI Director Wray in 2021, stating that Antifa was an ideology rather than a structured organization. However, it should be noted that Wray has since clarified his statement and acknowledged that Antifa does have organization at the regional level, which Goldman failed to mention during his statement on Tuesday.
Goldman did not provide Rosas with an opportunity to respond, but U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) eventually intervened and allowed the reporter to address Goldman’s remarks.
“It’s funny to be lectured by an heir to the Levi Strauss Corporation and that’s probably why he doesn’t consider property damage as a big of a deal because, not only does he have that, but he also has what some people would describe as an impossibly good stock portfolio.”
