Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier, Who Was Shot at Jonestown, Tells Devin Nunes Impeachment Inquiry Isn’t a Cult
Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier has blasted Republican Congressman Devin Nunes for referring to the ongoing impeachment inquiry as a cult. The ‘cult’ argument has now been made several times by President Donald Trump’s surrogates.
“Devin Nunes calling the Intelligence Committee’s fact-finding mission a cult is dispicable [sic]. I know about cults,” Speier said.
“Cults are led by maniacal narcissists who expect complete adoration and relinquishment of independent thought. I suggest Mr. Nunes look elsewhere.”
Devin Nunes calling the Intelligence Committee’s fact-finding mission a cult is dispicable. I know about cults. Cults are led by maniacal narcissists who expect complete adoration and relinquishment of independent thought. I suggest Mr. Nunes look elsewhere.
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) October 31, 2019
Speier has personal experience of cults. In 1978, she was part of a congressional fact finding mission to Jonestown, Guyana – the center of the People’s Temple cult led by Jime Jones. Speier was shot five times, while five people were killed, including a congressman.
In 1978, Speier was shot five times as a congressional staffer trying to save people from the cult at Jonestown. She survived after being left for dead on airstrip for 22 hours. Speier almost never talks about the experience, so this is a real rebuke of Nunes. https://t.co/2dasNaH4DM
— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) October 31, 2019
Nunes painted the impeachment proceedings as a cult on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday.
“What we’re seeing among Democrats on the Intelligence Committee down in the SCIF right now is like a cult. These are a group of people loyally following their leader as be bounces from one outlandish conspiracy theory to another,” Nunes said.