Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) got a taste of his own medicine Monday, when attendees at a town hall chanted “you lie” in response to his assertion that “I’ve also supported the local solicitor here, and the solicitor in Lexington, all efforts to make sure that violence against women is fully enforced.”
The Charleston Post & Courier posted video from the event, in which constituents also criticized Wilson’s support of the American Health Care Act, the White House and House Republican leadership’s effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.
The Post & Courier noted that Wilson voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act in 2013.
In 2009, during an address from President Barack Obama to a joint session of Congress, Wilson yelled out “You lie!” after Obama said that his health care reform effort would not insure undocumented immigrants.
He later apologized to the President. He also raised at least a million dollars in campaign funds in the days immediately following the outburst, CNN reported at the time.
Wilson also said Monday that he was “very pleased” by President Donald Trump’s military action against a Syrian airfield, an attack the White House said was in response to the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons.
“And I would have supported the prior president if he had acted, but he didn’t,” Wilson added.
However, The Hill listed Wilson in its “No/Leaning No” column in a 2013 article tallying support for a congressional authorization of a military strike in Syria, in response to a large poison gas attack on Aug. 21 of that year.
“The case was not made,” Wilson was quoted as saying.
He was also listed as “against” in a Washington Post tally on the same authorization of force request, and was quoted by the Post saying “…the United States must not engage in military action against Syria.”
Wilson had also signed a letter, days after the 2013 gas attack, asking President Obama to request authorization from Congress before any military response to the attack.
This post has been updated.
