GOP lawmaker buying body armor to protect against Trump supporters

A newly elected GOP congressman who voted for President Donald Trump’s impeachment now says he’s buying body armor to protect himself from the president’s supporters.

Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) appeared on MSNBC Thursday to discuss the effect his decision to impeach has had on him and his family.

Meijer was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach the president on Wednesday for “incitement of insurrection” following the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters.

When MSNBC anchor Hallie Jackson asked Meijer if he had received death threats, the lawmaker said he wasn’t going to let anything deter him from his duty.

“I don’t believe in giving an assassin’s veto, an insurrectionist’s veto, a heckler’s veto,” he said. “If we let that guide decisions, then you’re cowering to the mob. That’s the definition of terrorism is trying to achieve a political end using violence.”

But that doesn’t mean Meijer and others aren’t taking precautions.

“I have colleagues who are now traveling with armed escorts out of the fear for their safety,” Meijer said. “Many of us are altering our routines, working to get body armor, which is a reimbursable purchase that we can make. It’s sad that we have to get to that point.”

You can watch the exchange in the video above.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.