Vermont lawmaker told he’ll ‘never work again’ in threatening call about Trump

Editor’s note: This article was updated 11:05 a.m. Saturday.

A Vermont lawmaker says he received a threatening phone message this week demanding that he publicly condemn President Donald Trump or lose his livelihood.

In a House Republican Caucus meeting Thursday, state Rep. Pat Brennan, R-Colchester, told fellow Republicans that he received the threat from a caller with a Philadelphia area code. He received a threat by email as well.

state of Vermont

Rep. Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester

“I don’t know if anyone else got one, but I got a basically threatening phone call and email last night from a 215 area code, calling me by name [and] telling me they’ll be coming to get me and I’ll never work again in the state if I don’t denounce Trump,” he said.

Brennan said he has the caller’s name and believes he may have been a 2015 UVM graduate.

“I listened to the message a couple of times and it’s threatening,” he said during the Zoom conference meeting.

Brennan revealed the news while Republican lawmakers were discussing J.R.H.1, a joint resolution by Democrat, Republican and Progressive co-sponsors that denounces the president and urges his removal from office “by his Cabinet or by the Congress.”

It is the first business being pushed by state lawmakers in the new legislative biennium. Sponsors plan to send the resolution to Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and the Vermont congressional delegation.

Regarding the resolution itself, Brennan said that he doesn’t agree with the intent of such political advocacy.

“Every year, for the last number of years, we come into a new session immediately faced with a resolution that’s controversial,” he said. “I am personally sick of that. This puts us in a box every year.”

While other Republicans at the caucus meeting expressed disagreement with J.R.H.1, the full House on Thursday passed the resolution 130-16, according to a video of the session. The Senate on Friday passed the condemnation of Trump almost unanimously; Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex/Orleans, offered his lone dissenting voice vote, according to the Zoom video of the session.

Politicians and media have been jumping on a bandwagon to condemn the president after a peaceful Trump rally Wednesday in Washington, D.C., was marred by hundreds of rioters who broke into the Capitol Building and committed acts of vandalism. Capitol Police shot one unarmed Trump supporter dead, and one police officer also died from injuries sustained while physically engaging with protesters. Three other people died of “medical emergencies.”

Some Republicans on the Zoom conference call expressed support for the resolution, while others, like Rep. Brian Smith, R-Derby, criticized the effort.

“There’s a knee-jerk reaction here to something that happened 24 hours ago, and this resolution seems to be contradicting and condemning about 100,000 people for the actions of two or three hundred — I don’t think it’s fair,” he said. “I don’t think President Trump did the right thing, and his actions were not good, but he’s leaving in two weeks.”

Rep. Vicki Strong, R-Albany, said it’s too early to know who really caused the riots, and she urged lawmakers to avoid any rush to judgment.

“The news is constantly changing. … There’s a lot of speculation and I am just not comfortable jumping on this whole thing when we haven’t done due diligence to know.”

Multiple Vermonters who took a bus to the nation’s capital to join the Jan. 6 “Save America” rally told TNR they heard rumors that members of Antifa had infiltrated the crowds and may have been involved in the attacks on the Capitol Building.

The New York Post on Thursday reported that at least two Antifa members posed as Trump supporters to infiltrate the Capitol, according a law enforcement source. “The infiltrators were recognized due to their participation in New York City demonstrations, and were believed to have joined in the rioting so that Trump would get blamed,” the source told The Post.

The Washington Times, in an updated and corrected article, reported that a law enforcement source told the paper that “professional protesters were in the crowd posing as Trumpers. They were preaching violence. As they approached it was announced that [Vice President Mike] Pence had said he has no Constitutional authority. The crowd got mad. The agitators used this to whip-up anger. If the Feds are really intent on making the linkage between the instigators and Antifa, the evidence is there.”

Fox News reported Friday that “An anti-Trump activist who once said he wanted to ‘rip’ the president out of office entered the Capitol Building Wednesday alongside a mob of pro-Trump protesters, but he said he was just there to ‘document’ it.”

Despite Trump’s repeated calls for peaceful protest and denunciation of violence, many Vermont GOP lawmakers voiced support for having Congress or a member of Trump’s cabinet remove him from office.

The Rasmussen Reports daily presidential tracking poll shows Trump’s approval rating remains strong following this week’s events, with 48% of the nation approving and 50% disapproving, as of Friday.

The president has less than two weeks to go before President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office as the 46th president of the United States.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

Image courtesy of state of Vermont

19 thoughts on “Vermont lawmaker told he’ll ‘never work again’ in threatening call about Trump

  1. Where is the resolution calling on Joe Biden to explain what the millions upon millions of dollars that came into the Biden family was buying? My point is not that I want such a resolution, but the hypocrisy reveals a lot about the motivation … a 100% political power move.

  2. I have no interest in defending President Trump or his behavior…….It has been repugnant to many Americans including many Republicans.

    For the past four years top Democrats in Washington and around the country have called Trump’s behavior divisive and promised that they would bring the country together……Joe Biden campaigned on a promise of uniting the country.

    It’s now time for Joe Biden to keep his campaign promise to unite this country. He can start by calling on Nancy Pelosi to cease her divisive and vindictive push for impeachment and call on those in the Vermont Legislature who voted J.R.H. 1 to begin quit dividing and begin uniting…….This is what the country wants and needs…….It is what the American people must demand.

    If Joe Biden does not call for those in his party to halt calling for more division and begin uniting, he will have broken his campaign promise to united the country before serving his first minute as President.

    This is a message for the Vermont Congressional Delegation to deliver to President-Elect Biden……It’s their duty.

    • “It’s now time for Joe Biden to keep his campaign promise to unite this country.”

      I want whatever you are drinking,,,,,this was never his goal, never, never, never. His actions are polar opposite of his rhetoric. American fighting American is the desire, it’s the way they have taken over every country on the planet via subversion, propaganda and coersion.

      Submission and complete control of thought, if that’s what he means by unifying the country, it may be true.

      We are watching a fascist take over. Corporations running the state. Communication black outs across the nation of not only the president but all others who think differently.

      Corruption will not rule this country, nor any country for long. It is not self sustaining.

      The American people have said no to bailing out banks and in the past. What have they done? Billions for the, and $600 for thee, not even $1200 for thee.

  3. When the majority of the media are socialist, full of hate as well as the congressional crooks… we’re in for a ling haul. Trump exposed the deep state and I would bet nearly every politician is on the take. Legislation is framed to benefit the politicians, friends , and relatives. We may be too late to save this country.

  4. Caution:
    This assessment was published yesterday by Vermont’s US Attorney, Christina E. Nolan, regarding the ‘storming of the Capitol’ Wednesday last, and the participation of Vermonters in the protest.

    “…in a situation where a part of the illegal activity occurred in Vermont or otherwise had a connection to Vermont – such as an individual conspiring in Vermont to commit a federal crime in Washington D.C. (for example, destruction of federal property, arson, or assault on a federal officer) and then traveling to D.C. and committing that crime – then there would be venue in federal court in Vermont, assuming we had all the necessary evidence to charge.”

    https://vermontbiz.com/news/2021/january/08/vermont-us-attorney-statement-regarding-storming-capitol-and-venue-prosecution

    While I understand the indignation and urge inherent in Vermont’s conservative movement against tyranny, not to mention the patriotic impulse to stand up in front of this oppression – as you might remember the young man standing in defiance in front of no fewer than four tanks in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests against the Chinese Communist Party – please think twice. We are now at a major disadvantage in this struggle. No matter how well-meaning we are, no matter how peaceful we are, playing into this tyranny’s strength will serve only to strengthen the tyranny.

    The last bastion of the three pillars of our Constitutional Republic, the judiciary, is now corrupt as well. Not only is due process and equal protection extinct, the courts (as witnessed above) will stop at nothing to define all of us, peaceful as we may be, as a seditious insurrection, while allowing special interest groups, the media and other malicious operatives who support them (you know who they are), to do their bidding.

    Not only may you lose your jobs, you may be prosecuted, fined, even go to jail. Don’t give them the excuse to do this to you. Simply airing a carelessly worded opinion, at this point in time, can be interpreted, as US Attorney Nolan articulated, as “where a part of the illegal activity occurred in Vermont or otherwise had a connection to Vermont – such as an individual conspiring in Vermont to commit a federal crime”. Clearly, this opinion allows for broad legal over-reach.

    Our Constitutional Republic has been circumvented by a Direct Democracy. It is, indeed, like two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. We’re on the menu. Be smart. Be careful. Stay safe. This is not over.

  5. While it does not say so in the article, one can only hope that Representative Brennan reported this to law enforcement. Given that an email as well as phone calls were made and Representative Brennan appears to know who did this, follow up by law enforcement should be fairly easy. This should not be swept under the rug.
    Perhaps Reporter Mike Bielawski can keep an eye on this story and do a follow-up. I seem to recall threats to a Democratic Representative resulted in some consequences for the perpetrator. We should expect nothing less in this case.

  6. What we are seeing now is abject fear. The establishment is in complete fear of being exposed. They are now showing their true colors, for which they stand.

    Think about it. One man with a twitter account is the most dangerous person on the planet. He strikes absolute fear in our American establishment, why? On January 6th they were exposed. In the coming days the truth is being unraveled.

    They, the establishment, the NWO pimps think they can put toothpaste back in the tube, they can put Humpty Dumpty back together. In their panic, in their rote patterns of organization and subversive tactics, to which they know no other way of life they further expose who they are.

    January 6th will go down as one of the greatest days in American history.

    Dear Mr. President. You may need larger facilities in which to house certain criminals, just sayin’. God Speed. May he protect you and your family. May he Grace our nation with truth, love, forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. God Speed.

  7. Should have set up a midnight meeting with the coward at Niagra Falls and for him to bring a barrel.

  8. Perhaps Rep. Brennan should give out the name and number as a service to his young constituient. You know, in case he’d like to threaten some more Trump supporters?

  9. The time of freedom of speech and civility in government has passed. I am embarrassed to be an American now. Not one stateman who can help heal the nation now?

  10. Thank you Pat for bringing this into public light. I’m sure you have noticed that these COWARDS who make threats usually do it under the cloak of darkness and are not brave enough to let anyone know who they are. Then there are the real “ brave clowns “ like Robert DiNero who makes all these tough guy threats knowing full well the odds of them actually carrying out their bravado are slim to none because if they even dared try they would be beaten down by folks who job it is to protect the ones being threatened..

  11. Republicans who are jumping on the band wagon to falsely accuse and abuse our great President, in my opinion, are just sucking up to the Progs/socialists in our govt. They hope to find favor with them so THEY won’t be attacked and lose their positions. This shows what they are made of – rather what they are NOT made of – courage, moral conviction.
    In VT now, we must closely scrutinize what our officials are doing and hold them accountable at every turn. We see the good results in PA, GA, and AZ when the people emailed, made phone calls, office and home visits (without violence) to the obstructive politicians and weak legislators to wake them up to the massive fraud in the Nov 3 election. Those States are going to continue with the investigations. People aren’t standing for the criminality!

    • As Neil said above, the cat is out of the bag and the rest should be forthcoming in the coming days and weeks. The LEFTIES have been exposed, again!! It is now the duty of our elected Republicans and hopefully a few like minded “D’s”, to get to the bottom of everything that has been in the leftist hopper for the last 4 years leading up to the crooked and rigged election, to the events this week and anything else pertinent. I believe that when more is found, it will lead to even more and more being found. These thugs have wreaked havoc, torn apart the country, ruined lives and are now breathing down the shirt collar of Rep Brennan. This tells me they are seeking cover wherever they can find it. A country housing these thugs needs to do so for one reason: so they can be charged, prosecuted, and sent to the hooscow for a long, long time. God help us in our time of need.

  12. It is so wonderful to see people in office using this news site to let people know what is going on.

    Do you think this would make VT Digger?

    Thank you so much for letting everyone know what is going on. I suspect there will be massive intimidation to go along with this. There has to be…..because when the truth comes out, and it’s coming, some people are going to be found instrumental in the biggest election fraud ever uncovered.

    Rino’s and NWO pimps……yeah they want everything to stay just the way it is…..it’s the cozy teet of the New World Order and their minions making millions, they just love it. Crony capitalism is the first cousin to socialism. Vermont is infested with both.

  13. Well this is a great list of traitors and those whom support the rule of law and our constitution.

    Sign away.

    The world will know, it will be on record for all to see. Roundem’ up.

    96% of those in Washington, like corruption and poltics just as they are. Let’s see what percentage we have in Vermont.

  14. This is disgusting activity taking place not only under our golden dome at the hands of our socialist governor Phil Scott but our turncoat republican representatives that would vote for the removal of the best president in modern history

    Everyone who votes in favor of removing president Trump will pay the price at some point.

    Names will be recorded and people will be reminded at election time as to who stood for this kind of idiocy and who were brave enough to stand up against it.

    Representative Brennan you have always fought for vermonters and our rights and we respect you and will continue to support you.

    It is pretty sad when this kind of activity takes place

    • “Representative Brennan you have always fought for vermonters and our rights and we respect you and will continue to support you.”

      This in spades, if Representative Brennan were in the future to run for governor he would have my support,wholeheartedly, Thank you Mr. Brennan .

  15. Well under federal law that act of intimidation of an elected public official is terrorism and may carry special enhanced penalties. Now good luck on trying to getting it perused under the Socialists Democreep administration. In fact you could end being imprisoned yourself. It is one of the Justice Department’s specialties. On the bright side the guy who threatened your job, I would be will to bet, never even held one in his life.

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