‘We need help.’ Sheriff threatened for asking Obama, Bush to unite US during shutdown
As the government shutdown continues to drag on — and leaving around 800,000 federal workers without pay — an Ohio sheriff tried to find a way to bridge the partisan divide.
Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, who describes himself as a supporter of President Donald Trump, told WLWT5 that he is concerned about the “extreme divide between our Democratic and Republican parties.” President Trump has demanded funding for a border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border in a government spending bill, but congressional Democrats have refused to provide any money for the wall.
“It’s a mess, and we need help,” Jones told The Washington Post.
The sheriff warned that things could grow worse, and possibly even deadly, if the tension in Washington, D.C., continues. So he decided to send a letter to former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush with the hopes that pair of leaders could inspire a sense of unity, according to The Washington Post.
“The country needs the two of you to show the American people that our political parties can get along even if opinions differ,” Jones wrote, according to The Washington Post. “We are a great nation with a history of great leaders. The people need to hear from you. America needs your help.”
After sending that message of unity, Jones told Fox19 he received a message that flies in the face of his act of goodwill.
It was a death threat, the sheriff said, without providing any more details.
“If we don’t (unite), someone is going to die,” Jones told Fox19. “Everything has gotten so hostile. You can’t just disagree with someone anymore.
“Everything gets so nasty,” he continued. “Someone is going to die.”
In a video posted to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Facebook, Jones explained why he reached out to Obama and Bush — and not President Trump, who received 62 percent of the votes in the county during the 2016 election.
“The reason for that is, I think we should have two people come together that represent both parties, can bring our Congress and Senate — and maybe our country — together to get our country back to work.
“I was asked, why these two presidents?” he continued. “They are highly well respected, and some times you get in the heat of battle — our Congress, our Senate, our President — and sometimes it’s hard to get things negotiated.
“I was asked why I didn’t send a letter to president of the United States. I support the President of the United States,” he said. “I believe it should be someone independent, that can get these two groups together and sit down in a room somewhere and get this country moving in the right direction.
“I believe these two individuals would be the perfect people to do that,” he concluded, “if they were willing to do that.”
And Jones had a message for the person who allegedly issued a death threat over the phone.
“We are going to track it back as far as we can,” Jones said in the video. “But it’s part of the job and if you think threatening my life, making threats on my life, is going to stop me from speaking out, you are severely wrong.”
The government shutdown has now reached its 35th day — making it the longest-ever in the history of our nation.
As that continues, Jones said he will continue to propose solutions, despite his small platform.
“I’m just a lil’ ol’ sheriff in Ohio,” he told The Washington Post. “But I’m outspoken.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 10:04 AM.