GOP congressman's son: 'I was assaulted' by socialist 'thugs'
The NCSU student says he was "assaulted" while promoting a "Culture War" event for the NC State chapter of TPUSA.
The son of a Republican congressman says he was "assaulted" with spray paint Monday night.
The son of a North Carolina congressman claims he was assaulted Monday by members of a leftist organization on campus while promoting a Charlie Kirk event scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
Jack Bishop, son of Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), told Campus Reform Tuesday that he was spray-painted in the face and eye during an incident in North Carolina State University’s “Free Expression Tunnel,” which is used as a space for organizations to express “their thoughts and feelings about anything--from ‘Happy Birthday’ to announcing club and organization meetings,” according to the university website.
”Last night, I was assaulted by members of @ydsancsu while painting and [sic] advertisement for Culture Wars with @charliekirk11
and @LaraLeaTrump, by @TPUSA_NCSU in the free expression tunnel,” Jack Bishop tweeted Tuesday.
”Two dozen + socialists rolled up on us with spray paint and proceeded to spray my eyes, neck/head and torso. These injuries required the aid of an EMS to resolve, and both criminals are still at large. I’ve filed charges for assault and property damage to both perpetrators. Thank you @NCSUPolice for your timely response. Please find these thugs and bring them to justice,” the congressman’s son added.
Prior to the incident, Bishop said he and members of the school’s Turning Point USA chapter had painted on the same portion of the wall to promote an upcoming “Culture War” event featuring the group’s founder, Charlie Kirk.
Bishop said the leftist students attempted to paint over what the Turning Point chapter members had just drawn on the surface.
Video obtained by Campus Reform shows Bishop and the Turning Point students asking the leftist group to paint somewhere else.
When that didn’t work, Bishop said that he made the decision to “stand [his] ground.”
In other footage obtained by Campus Reform, Bishop is seen standing in front of the wall as one leftist student spray paints around him.
[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Update on assault against conservative at UC-Berkeley]
He said that for the most part, the unidentified female seen in the video was “spray painting directly around me,” but then said that she decided to give him a “brief spray in the eye.” According to Bishop, paramedics arrived quickly to the scene to flush out his eye.
Bishop told Campus Reform that while he was not angry at the student, she should have thought about her actions beforehand.
“I’m not mad that [she] spray painted me, but I would really hope that [she] would think before harassing a conservative group in a coordinated effort like this,” Bishop said. “I would rethink your thinking that suppression of political speech is acceptable.”
A North Carolina State University spokesperson told Campus Reform that the university has no statement on the incident but did confirm that the police are investigating.
“It’s shameful that [the university] isn’t recognizing this,” Bishop said.
[RELATED: VIDEO: Self-identified teacher caught on camera berating conservative students]
The NCSU Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter later tweeted, “TP USA says they support free speech but then calls the cops on students who are just freely expressing themselves in the FREE EXPRESSION tunnel. No Hate at NC State!” to which Bishop replied, “You shot me in my eye with a can of spray paint.”
In a since-deleted tweet, the NCSU Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter responded to Bishop, stating: “Pro tip for the future: it might not be the smartest idea to put your head between a can of paint and the wall someone is actively painting.”
Jack Bishop’s father, U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, also reacted to the incident involving his son in a statement to Campus Reform.
”Our universities are beacons for free speech and intellectual freedom — unless a student has the gall to voice support for President Trump or conservative ideas. I commend Jack Bishop and other young conservatives for speaking up, refusing to be intimidated, and taking in stride the hallmark assaults of the ‘tolerant’ left,” Bishop said.
”I am confident that UNC System President Bill Roper and NCSU Chancellor Randy Woodson will appropriately protect these students’ free expression rights, as the Campus Free Speech Act requires,” Bishop added.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @asabes10
