The disturbing trend of violence and threats against elected officials took center stage in
Thursday’s Today in Ohio podcast
, as hosts discussed a frightening road rage incident involving Congressman Max Miller that highlights a broader national concern.
The incident, which occurred on June 19th on Interstate 90, involved Miller and Faras Hamdan. Miller frantically called police about a man threatening him as they drove on a highway, “painting a pretty terrifying picture of that ordeal and raising questions again about the dangers elected officials are facing suddenly from very angry citizens,” Chris Quinn said on the episode.
A 23-second video taken by Hamdan himself shows him driving alongside Miller’s SUV,
shouting obscenities and slurs. According to podcast host Lisa Garvin, Hamdan can be heard saying, “This is a POS congressman against Palestine. This racist Jewish can’t even look at me.”
Chris Quinn noted that Miller told police he had a gun but did not want to use it: “That’s how afraid he was. He had his hand on a gun in the car because he didn’t know what was going to happen.”
This incident isn’t isolated. It represents a troubling pattern that the podcast hosts argue threatens the foundation of American democracy. “You can disagree with Max Miller vehemently, but you cannot do this kind of thing. I hope they deal with this harshly. This, this has got to stop,” Quinn said.
The podcast discussion connected Miller’s experience to other recent acts of political violence, including the murder of politicians in Minnesota and the attempted assassination a year ago of Donald Trump. The incidents collectively paint a picture of a political environment becoming increasingly dangerous for those who choose to serve.
The consequences extend beyond the immediate safety concerns for current officials, as acts like these could drive people away from seeking office.
While Hamdan’s attorney has attempted to defend his client, claiming he didn’t seek out Miller and only approached because he thought he recognized the SUV, the video evidence suggests otherwise. Hamdan has been indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on felony ethnic intimidation and evidence tampering charges, along with misdemeanor menacing and aggravated menacing.
Listen to the full discussion here.
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Listen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes
where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston.
