Washington state Republican Rep Matt Shea has warned American citizens that a civil war is coming to America.
According to audio obtained by left-wing newspaper the Guardian, Rep Shea and radio host John Jacob Schmidt, told attendees at a north-eastern religious compound last year to “arm themselves” ahead of a looming civil war.
Theguardian.com reports: In his speech at God and Country last June, which immediately followed Shea’s speech, Robertson said: “Of course, you all know that you should have an AR-15 and a thousand rounds of ammo, right? Because Antifa is kicking up and getting ready to defend, right?”
Shea’s speech flirted with themes of civil war, but mostly focused on the idea of separating eastern Washington out into a separate political entity, with the view of having “an entire geographic area repent”.
He began by proposing “a simple idea that may make you cringe a little at first. And that idea is that liberty must be kept by force.”
Shea said the reason America was no longer a “beacon of Christianity”, was “because of compromise. And it’s not knowing that the communists are training, they’re planning, they’re organizing and they are lying in wait.”
He added: “If you don’t believe that, then you don’t understand what is really wrong with America.”
In his 2018 speech, Robertson said the audience should prepare for the threat of civil war. “It’s a fact that what we see on the political landscape and our cultural landscape are indicative of a coming civil war,” he said.
Robertson is a close ally of Shea’s. In a phone conversation with the Guardian earlier this month, he said: “I consider representative Shea to be a friend.” The pair are regular guests on each other’s broadcasts on a local Christian network, and often share a stage at “patriot movement” events.
Shea, who rarely talks to reporters, did not respond to requests for comment.