U.S. Representative John Carter’s Washington, D.C., office was vandalized Monday with a “Free Gaza” message and red liquid splattered at the entrance, the Texas Republican’s office told Newsweek.
Emily Taylor, senior adviser for Carter, told Newsweek in an email on Monday night that the incident occurred sometime that morning.
“While the investigation is ongoing, the paint found at the door was still wet when staff arrived at 8:30 a.m. but was seen as early as 5 a.m., so at some point in the early morning hours,” Taylor said.
Photos appear to show a doorbell camera; however, Taylor did not confirm at the time of publication if the vandalism was caught on video.
Carter responded to the incident, which occurred at his office entrance in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in a statement to Newsweek.
“Today my staff arrived at my Georgetown office to a disturbing act of vandalism perpetrated by unhinged anti-Israel activists,” Carter said. “They aimed to intimidate me and my staff, and I want to make it very clear that they were unsuccessful. I stand unequivocally with Israel. This isn’t free speech, it’s a crime, and down here in Texas, we hold criminals accountable. Whoever did this will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I appreciate Georgetown Police Department and US Capitol Police for their assistance and quick response to this incident.”
The Georgetown Police Department was called to the scene and is “actively investigating,” Taylor told Newsweek.
“Representative Carter was likely targeted due to his unwavering support for Israel and support of the recent Israel supplemental bill on Saturday,” Taylor said.
Courtesy of Office of Congressman John Carter
Carter, 82, who has represented Texas’ 31st District for more than 20 years, joined a majority of his House colleagues and voted to approve an aid package to support U.S. allies over the weekend. The legislation, which now awaits a vote in the Senate, includes roughly $26 billion to support U.S. ally Israel and provide humanitarian relief for those in besieged Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war drags on.
The war in the Middle East was triggered by a deadly attack on October 7 in southern Israel carried out by Hamas and other militant groups that left roughly 1,200 people dead and about 250 hostages taken into Gaza. Israeli officials have said that roughly 130 hostages remain in the war-torn territory and 30 have died.
In the nearly seven months of bloodshed, the Palestinian death toll has topped 34,000, with more than 76,000 wounded, according to the Associated Press, per the Gaza Health Ministry. While the Hamas-run ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in their count, it says at least two-thirds have been children and women.
The jarring number of Palestinian deaths has ignited international criticism that has led to protests across the globe. Critics have accused the Israeli government of war crimes and called on U.S. lawmakers to withhold aid.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.