Congressman Fred Upton has told the story of a threatening message left for him at his office. He appeared on CNN Monday evening and shared the audio with Anderson Cooper. In the message, the caller says he hopes Upton, Upton’s family, and Upton’s staff all die. He then calls Upton a traitor. Upton told Anderson Cooper the message was left after he voted for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package Saturday.
“It’s a real step back,” Upton said. “Thank goodness it wasn’t a constituent. I have a colleague, as you know, who put out the phone numbers of the 13 of us who voted that way. I’d be glad to defend that vote. We were working really since spring on a bipartisan bill.”
Upton says he’s concerned for his staff, many of whom are young, who get contacted by people using similar language as the caller heard above. He says it’s another sign of a major backslide on civility in the country.
