U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, was in Lockport on Monday to stump for Rep. Claudia Tenney in her primary run against Mario Fratto. During his speech, Jordan was heckled by a local resident for his and Tenney’s support of Israel.
Upon criticizing President Biden’s actions in the Israel-Hamas war, for giving supplies to those in Gaza, Jordan said, “Isn’t it kind of warfare 101: if you want one side to win, you don’t don’t give supplies to the other side. This is the Biden’s administration. Makes absolutely no sense!”
Suddenly, Lockport resident Lyndsey Devine, wearing a keffiyeh (Arab headdress) around her shoulders, shouted out that the aid is “a Trojan horse” and that Israeli soldiers “massacred” Gaza residents who thought they were safe.
“What’s actually crazy is supporting the army that is shooting kids in the head and bombing hospitals and schools!” Devine, the daughter of Republican 3rd Ward Alderman Mark Devine, shouted.
Jordan continued his speech over Devine’s repeated shouting. Eventually the crowd gathered inside Davison Road Inn started shouting, “USA, USA, USA!” and applauding.
“Thank you for helping President Trump,” Jordan said to Devine.
Before Devine’s interruption, the Ohio representative spoke of former President Donald Trump in glowing terms and included Tenney in his praise.
“He has an amazing attitude,” Jordan said. “And when you talk about doing what he says he’s going to do? Which Claudia does, too, on your behalf? President Trump did it better than any president I’ve ever seen.”
Pointing out the Republican Party holds the majority in the House of Representatives by a slim margin, Jordan encouraged voting for Trump in November and voting for Tenney in the Tuesday primary.
“She cares about the things you care about, and what’s more important, she’s willing to go fight for you, your community, your family; the principles and values that make our country a special place,” Jordan said.
After the rally, Devine said her question for Tenney — which she didn’t get to ask — is, “as a mother, and somebody that should be deeply understanding that all life is sacred, how can she still pretend that Israel is defending itself?”
The Israeli government has bombed “every school and hospital in Gaza” and “indiscriminately displaced, starved and slaughtered an entire population, half of whom are children,” Devine said. “if we can’t convince our representatives that genocide is wrong then they aren’t our representatives.”