Shooting Victim Responds To Keith Ellison's 'Bernie Bro' Defense

Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise raised eyebrows Thursday when he responded to Keith Ellison's question about "Bernie Bros" — a derogatory term used to describe avid supporters of Bernie Sanders — on Twitter Thursday.

In recent weeks, Sanders supporters have been criticized by other Democrats for being vicious and bullying online. Ellison, who has endorsed Sanders for president, attempted to defend supporters on Twitter Thursday:

"I have never seen @BernieSanders supporters being unusually mean or rude," the Minnesota Attorney General and former Congressman tweeted. "Can someone send me an example of a “Bernie Bro” being bad. Also, are we holding all candidates responsible for the behavior of some of their supporters? Waiting to hear."

Scalise responded by alluding to the time he was shot and critically wounded by James Hodgkinson, a Bernie Sanders supporter, in 2017.

Hodgkinson opened fire on a group of congressmen and aides on a baseball field, striking then-House Majority Whip Scalise, one police officer and two others before being killed in a shootout with Virginia and U.S. Capitol Police.

Hodgkinson volunteered for Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.

At the time of the shooting, lawmakers had been in the midst of practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game, an annual charity event that pits Democrats and Republicans against one another.

Elizabeth Janney, Patch Staff, contributed to this report