Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., reportedly requested police protection during her trip to Minnesota over the weekend, where she made inflammatory comments that many have perceived as inciting violence in a region that has been experiencing intensifying protests.
Travel logs obtained and published by Townhall editor Katie Pavlich, who is also a Fox News contributor, appeared to show that Waters requested a U.S. Capitol Police escort on Saturday when she flew from Dulles International Airport to Minnesota-St. Paul International Airport.
Protests have been intensifying in Brooklyn Center – near Minneapolis – where Duante Wright was shot as the trial of Derek Chauvin, who has been accused of murdering George Floyd, nears its culmination.
A spokesperson for Rep. Waters did not return Fox News’ request for comment.
The documents have not been verified by Fox News.
The California Democrat’s remarks during her visit to the area, however, have drawn widespread attention and scrutiny.
Waters urged protesters in Brooklyn Center "stay in the street" as she joined the protests on Saturday and violated the local curfew.
"We've got to stay in the street and we've got to get more active, we've got to get more confrontational," Waters said, referencing a scenario where Chauvin is not convicted. "We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said on Monday that she did not believe Waters needed to apologize for her comments. She also said she did not think they would incite violence as the local communities deal with intensifying protests.
The comments were brought up during Chauvin’s trial, as the former Minneapolis police officer’s defense team characterized them as "threatening acts of violence."
Judge Peter Cahill lamented that lawmakers have chosen to get in the way of the judicial process, but declined the defense’s argument that members of the jury may have been unduly influenced by external factors – including Waters’ comments.
Comments