Hernandez Appears to Apologize for Leaving Painful Questions
As criticism and calls for his expulsion from the state Legislature grow, Colorado state Rep. Tim Hernández surprised many on Friday by issuing an apology for “causing harm for not being clear,” “liking tweets that were harmful,” and “leaving people with a lot of painful questions.”
The Denver Democrat, who was appointed to his seat in August with only 39 votes in a vacancy committee, attended a rally in support of Palestinians on the same day that Hamas entered Israel, killing and kidnapping hundreds of civilians. He also liked social media posts that appeared to celebrate the attacks but has since unliked them following intense criticism.
The “apology video” is Hernández’s second public statement since he attended the rally outside of the state Capitol on Oct. 7th -- the same day that Hamas killed hundreds of people in Israel and kidnapped scores more.
In a video posted on social media, the former DPS public school teacher stated, "I condemn Hamas and their attack on innocent Israelis, but it has resulted in the deaths and murders of Israeli folks, Palestinian folks, Arabs, Americans, and so many others. People who are harmed and suffering deserve our respect, and I have to apologize for the way that I caused harm by not making that explicitly clear."
This apology comes after a video of Hernández at the rally went viral, showing him refusing to explicitly condemn Hamas and instead condemning "colonial violence." He also faced criticism for his social media engagement with posts about the attack, with some referring to him as Tim "Hamas" Hernández.
House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Majority Leader Monica Duran released a statement expressing their disappointment in Hernández for not condemning the terrorist group.
Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Majority Leader Monica Duran — said they were “deeply disappointed” that Re. Tim Hernández did not condemn Hamas.
The situation escalated on Thursday when 15 House Republicans signed a letter demanding Hernández's expulsion from the chamber.
While the rally was not meant to celebrate Hamas or its actions, according to the Colorado Palestine Coalition, Republicans have called for Hernández's immediate removal from the legislature.
In a letter released by the state Republican Party on Thursday night, 15 of the House’s 19 Republicans demanded that Democrats initiate Hernández’s expulsion. The letter, written by Rep. Brandi Bradley, sharply criticizes Hernández and said his actions warranted immediate removal.
Rep. Brandi Bradley said that she intended to follow through on the letter calling on Hernández’s expulsion but said she needed to meet with all of her Republican colleagues to settle on next steps. The expulsion letter was signed by 14 of the 19 Republicans in the House Republican caucus: Rep. Scott Bottoms, Rep. Stephanie Luck, Rep. Ken DeGraaf, Rep. Ryan Armagost, Rep. Ty Winter, Rep. Rick Taggart, Rep. Mike Lynch, Rep. Richard Holtorf, Rep. Anthony Hartsook, Rep. Mary Bradfield, Rep. Rose Pugliesi, Rep. Lisa Frizell, Rep. Don Wilson, and Rep. Marc Catlin.
“The events that are happening in Israel are heartbreaking, and we obviously feel for the people of Israel and stand united with them,” Colorado House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Rose Pugliese told the Denver Post. “So to have remarks like he has made is really sad for the institution as a whole, especially in the House.”
However, with Democratic control in the Capitol, expulsion requires a two-thirds vote and is unlikely to happen. Only two House members have been expelled in the past, with the legislature not reconvening until January.
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Hernández's apology and actions to rectify the harm caused by his lack of condemnation have been met with mixed reactions from both Democrats and Republicans.