WASHINGTON D.C., June 17, 2025 – The Brady Campaign, the leading gun violence prevention group founded in the wake of a horrific act of political violence after a gunman tried to kill President Ronald Reagan, responds to public audio of remarks by Winsome Earle-Sears referencing the use of weapons and calling voters “the enemy” immediately following the politically motivated shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses.
Brady President Kris Brown said:
On Saturday, our nation experienced an unthinkable assault on its very foundations when a political assassin shot lawmakers and their spouses in Minnesota, killing two and critically injuring two others. Yet, just hours later, as the echoes of that political violence were still reverberating across our country, Winsome Earle-Sears, candidate for Virginia Governor, addressed a clergy luncheon in Suffolk and shockingly identified the ‘enemy,’ as ‘our fellow citizens’, neighbors, and ultimately constituents. She also suggested the use of ‘huge firepower,’ ‘grenades,’ and ‘flak jackets.’
As a Virginian and the leader of an organization founded by, named after, and led by survivors of gun violence that know all too well the deadly implications of violent rhetoric, I call on Winsome-Earle Sears to unequivocally denounce these irresponsible and incendiary remarks. There is no place in a modern democracy for violent rhetoric like this, particularly at a moment when our nation is grappling with the deadly consequences of political extremism.It is shocking that Winsome-Earle Sears is threatening violence against the very people she represents today, and is asking to represent in the future as governor. Our communities deserve leaders who unite, not divide; who heal, not incite; who condemn hatred, not cultivate it. The time for accountability is now and at the ballot box.
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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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