Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Says Divisive Politics ‘Key Driver’ In Threats Against Lawmakers

"I am concerned about people who just cannot separate fact from fiction," Karen Gibson said.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Karen Gibson said increasingly divisive political rhetoric was a “key driver” behind anger directed towards elected officials, noting threats against lawmakers had increased considerably in 2020 before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. During an interview with CNN’s Pamela Brown that aired Sunday, Gibson spoke about federal officials’ ongoing concern with the rise in domestic extremism. “I think political rhetoric is a key driver of some of the anger that Americans feel across the political spectrum towards elected officials,” Brown said, later adding: “It means that there are continued threats, unfortunately, against a number of elected officials.”