Paul Gosar is a six-term congressman from Arizona who has become one of the most extreme members of the House Republican caucus. The video incident is the most dramatic but not the only example of conduct that would end most political careers. His own family members — six of his nine siblings — publicly campaigned against him in 2018, appearing in television ads describing him as unfit for office and endorsing his Democratic opponent. He won anyway and has continued winning.
What the Video Showed.
The video was an edit of a scene from the anime series "Attack on Titan." The original scene involves characters fighting giant humanoid monsters. Gosar's version replaced the monster's face with President Biden's, and one of the characters — depicted as Gosar — kills a character whose face was replaced with AOC's. The video was posted to Gosar's official Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. It remained up for days before being removed after widespread condemnation. Gosar defended it as commentary on immigration policy. He did not explain how the depiction of killing a colleague relates to immigration policy.
AOC responded on the House floor during the censure debate, noting that she had been threatened and harassed repeatedly as a congresswoman and that Gosar's video normalized violence against elected officials. She pointed out that the imagery was not subtle — it depicted a colleague being killed by a sword — and that the defense of it as metaphorical or satirical was not credible. She remained composed. Gosar, seated in the chamber during her remarks, showed no visible reaction.
The Censure Vote and What Followed.
The House voted 223 to 207 to censure Gosar and strip him of his committee assignments. Two Republicans — Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger — joined Democrats in voting yes. Every other Republican voted no or present. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy condemned the vote as a "political stunt" and promised to restore Gosar's assignments when Republicans won the majority. He kept that promise in January 2023, giving Gosar back his committee seats immediately upon becoming Speaker.
Gosar's response to the censure was to repost the video on his official accounts after the House voted. He treated the censure as a badge of honor. He has continued serving, continues to post inflammatory content, and remains a member of the House Freedom Caucus. He has faced no criminal charges. He continues to be reelected.
The censure vote (223-207, November 17, 2021) is Congressional Record. The video's content is documented through widespread contemporaneous reporting and preserved screenshots/archives. Gosar's reposting after censure was reported by multiple outlets. The six siblings campaigning against him in 2018 aired television ads that are publicly archived. McCarthy's restoration of committee assignments in January 2023 is Congressional Record.
The Wider Pattern.
Gosar has spoken at events organized by white nationalist Nick Fuentes, a relationship he did not publicly renounce even after it was widely reported. He has promoted Great Replacement conspiracy theory content — the racist theory that demographic change in America is orchestrated by elites to replace white people. He has appeared at events and rallies alongside figures who openly espouse white nationalist views. The Republican Party has not formally sanctioned him for any of this beyond the single censure, which was itself described by Republican leadership as an overreach by Democrats.
The Gosar story, like the MTG story, is ultimately about what Republican voters and Republican leadership are willing to accept and reward. The answer, repeatedly, has been: a great deal.
- House censure vote, November 17, 2021 — 223-207; Congressional Record; C-SPAN video of proceedings.
- AOC floor speech during censure — full transcript and video via C-SPAN.
- Gosar reposting video after censure — reported by Axios, The Hill, multiple outlets, November 2021.
- Six siblings campaign ads against Gosar, 2018 — widely reported; video archived by multiple outlets.
- Gosar and Nick Fuentes — reported by Washington Post, Politico, and others, 2021–2022.
- McCarthy restoring committee assignments — January 2023; Congressional Record and Politico reporting.