Veteran Republican strategist Karl Rove claimed he received “credible threats” after criticizing the GOP, but stood firm on his words, even saying he wouldn’t mind facing down those who’ve threatened him.
“The threats that they made in the aftermath of my saying I was going to vote for John Rosenthal (D) did get me DPS parked outside my house for a week because of quote ‘credible threats’ that they won’t tell me,” Rove said Saturday during a question-and-answer session at the Texas Tribune Festival.
“I’d like to find who issued those credible threats, and meet that sumabitch in a dark alley someplace!” he continued.
Rove’s remarks follow a series of criticisms he made towards his party, which he claimed last week has been “infiltrated” with “conspiracy nuts.”
He received backlash, mostly from President Donald Trump and his MAGA followers, for stating that he’ll vote against “bigoted” Republican Bo French, who has come under fire for an apparent racist post he has since doubled down on.
The president flipped out over Rove’s decision to vote blue in a fiery social media post calling him a “stone cold loser” and a “RINO,” or “Republican In Name Only,” on social media,
Rove was, however, unapologetic about his declaration, asking those who labeled him a RINO, “Where were you when we were fighting and scrapping to build this Republican Party? Where were you?”
“Where are these sons of bitches?” Rove said.
“They’re sitting there listening to Tucker Carlson mouth off. Or they’re tuning in to Steve Bannon,” he continued. “They can’t be bothered to walk the precincts, raise the money, do the work necessary. And they’re mouthing me and talking to me, and telling me I’m a RINO? To hell with them.”
He told the audience the threats against him “served as an incentive” to write his Wall Street Journal column, formally declaring his vote against French.
“I said, if some guy’s gonna be hearing about me making a comment and threatening me, and threatening a bunch of legislators, what the hell? In for a penny, in for a pound,” Rove said.