Some of Congressman Morgan Griffith’s constituents participating in the March 6 protest.
Shawn Nowlin
shawn.nowlin@ourvalley.org
Roughly 50 local and area residents gathered in front of Rep. Morgan Griffith’s Salem office on March 6 to call for his resignation in part due to him voting against the November election results.
In addition to bringing signs that read “You Broke Your Promise” and “Democracy Shines On,” protestors also chanted things such as “We Stand With Democracy.” A similar rally occurred in front of Griffith’s Christiansburg office on February 5.
A significant part of the anger, said one protestor, stems from Griffith’s response to the US Capitol Hill riots in January.
“I’ve closely followed Congressman Griffith for years, and I’ve seen him speak ad nauseam on a multitude of relevant issues, ranging from fiscal responsibility to the Second Amendment. While I haven’t always agreed with every stance that he has taken, I can respect anyone who stands by their convictions,” he said. “It’s been over two months since the Capitol Hill Riots, and Griffith has yet to properly address the situation. That is beyond disappointing. No one is above accountability, even if they are one of your own.”
Griffith, the former majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, has backed the baseless claims asserted by President Trump that the election was stolen, along with more than 100 other Republican lawmakers. Last month, the Congressman released a statement after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Trump in his second Impeachment trial.
“The Senate has finally ended an ordeal that never should have started. Democrats in the House brushed aside principles of fairness and impartiality in conducting this impeachment process, yet, in my belief, they failed to find impeachable offenses,” he said at the time. “President Trump was rightfully acquitted. Now it’s time to get back to work on the real issues confronting the American people.”
Salem native Stephen Marshall believes that if Griffith were to apologize for his rhetoric, it would go a long way. “I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it hurt to see Griffith so blindly support President Trump when he absolutely knows better. Partisanship obviously exists, but at what cost? Morgan is not this evil guy that some portray him to be, but it’s up to him whether or not he will do the right thing.”
Griffith, who was first elected to represent the Ninth Congressional District of Virginia in November 2010, is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Congressman, 63, gave a one-word statement last month when asked if he was going to resign: “no.”