Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) has a long-standing reputation for defending rioters, a stance that has once again come to the fore amid recent unrest in Los Angeles County.
Her controversial comments during the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, where she defended looters and rioters, have resurfaced. "There were mothers who took this as an opportunity to take some milk, to take some bread, to take some shoes. Maybe they shouldnt have done it, but the atmosphere was such that they did it. They are not crooks," Waters had stated, in an attempt to humanize the rioters.
Further, she had argued that the term 'riot' was a misrepresentation of the events, stating, "If you call it a riot, it sounds like it was just a bunch of crazy people who went out and did bad things for no reason. I maintain it was somewhat understandable, if not acceptable. So I call it a rebellion."
In recent days, Waters has once again been vocal about the situation in Los Angeles County. According to RedState's Nick Arama, Waters appeared on CNN, where she criticized the LAPD's description of the rioting, which included hurling heavy rocks at law enforcement and setting cars ablaze, as "disgusting" and so out of control that it was "overwhelming" officers.
"I was surprised at the way the police chief was describing all of this. There's been no violence where anyone who was protesting hit anybody, shot anybody, threatened anybody," Waters claimed during the interview. "Nothing has happened!"
Waters continued to downplay the severity of the situation during a Democrat press conference, stating, "And even those who were out of step with what we are advocating - peaceful protest - did not create any violence. Nobody was shot, nobody was killed, get it in your head. And so, when martial law is called, what are you going to say? I missed the point. Don't miss the point, you all. Don't think that somehow, because they called out the National Guard, there was violence. There was no violence. I was on the street, I know, and I went from downtown detention back out into the community, talking to people. What happened in Paramount, what happened in Compton, what happened in Englewood. So, first of all, get it straight, and don't just rely on what you're being told on the few incidents that you saw."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) responded to Waters' repeated denials of any violence, stating, "Clearly, the Democrats are making a mistake by taking the wrong side here. And I'm just gonna, in my southern gentlemanly way, say 'bless her heart' to Maxine Waters. I don't even know how to comment on Maxine Waters anymore. It's madness. I'm gonna be charitable and leave it right there."
The Democrats' stance on the recent unrest, coupled with their actions over the past four months, has led some to question whether they are setting themselves up for a loss in the 2026 midterms. Their actions seem to indicate a lack of lessons learned from the 2024 election. The question remains: will they prove these speculations wrong?
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