Dana: “Charlottesville was a Set Up by Democrats”

Rep Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) is a member of the House Cannabis Caucus, and Dana must have been higher than a kite when he told the San Francisco Chronicle that the racial violence in Charlottesville VA last month was “a set up” by Democrats to make President Trump look bad.

And he offered this with no evidence and no proof, but when has that stopped Dana before?

From the LA Times:

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher says Democrats, not white supremacists, are to blame for the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va., last month.

“It’s all baloney,” Rohrabacher told the San Francisco Chronicle in an article about his 2018 reelection chances.

Rohrabacher, a Republican from Costa Mesa, told the Chronicle he believes a supporter of former presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders prompted the violence by arranging for Civil War reenactors to protect a Robert E. Lee statue at the center of the dispute between white supremacist protesters and counter-protesters.

“It was a setup for these dumb Civil War reenactors,” Rohrabacher said. “It was left-wingers who were manipulating them in order to have this confrontation” and to “put our president on the spot.”

The conspiracy theory that a Democrat organized the white supremacist rally that led to the death of one person was stoked by right-wing provocateur Alex Jones of InfoWars and has been debunked by nonpartisan fact-checking site Politifact.

Rohrabacher’s comments drew a sharp rebuke from two Democratic candidates seeking to replace him in 2018.

Laguna Beach businessman Harley Rouda issued this statement:

“Congressman Rohrabacher’s comments are dangerous. Now is no time to put partisan politics before country. The events in Charlottesville were horrifying, and the fact is that terrorists, neo-nazis and white supremacists have no place in our society. Period. Shame on Dana Rohrabacher for implying the death of Heather Heyer and the violence we all saw was a set up. His response today is nothIng short of deplorable.”

Dr. Hans Keirstead issued this statement:

“I am angered and disturbed by the false claims made by Re. Rohrabacher, but like many who live in his district – not surprised by them.  With each new false claim, full-throated defense of Donald Trump, or Russian intelligence connection, the people of Orange County see who their Congressman is truly fighting for — and it’s not them.”