Politicians voiced support for the Baltimore Ravens’ decision to cut running back Ray Rice from the team after video footage was released this week showing him punching his then-fiancée in an elevator.
“It’s an incomprehensible level of violence,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told reporters Tuesday in Atlantic City, according to nj.com. “He obviously has a lot of work to do to control his anger and his temper. I’m glad the Ravens made the move they did.”
The NFL suspended Mr. Rice indefinitely on Monday. Last spring the NFL suspended Mr. Rice for just two games in response to earlier video footage showing the player dragging an unconscious Janay Palmer, whom he has since married, from an elevator.
The latest footage, released Monday by TMZ, shows Mr. Rice punching the woman inside the elevator and seemingly knocking her out cold before dragging her slumped body into the hall.
Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, called for the NFL to permanently ban Mr. Rice after the new video footage sparked widespread outrage across the country.
“Ray Rice should be banned by the NFL for life and charged with battery by authorities. No excuse for what he did and should not be any second chance,” Mr. Rubio tweeted Monday night.
Both President Obama and Vice President Biden made statements Monday in response to the brutal video.
Mr. Biden said that the Ravens “did the right thing” in cutting Mr. Rice and speculated that the NFL had its female fans in mind when the suspension was announced.
“So, you know, the first reason the NFL responded to my view: there are so many women fans in this billion-dollar industry, so all of a sudden they said, ’Wait a minute, he got suspended for a couple games? Whoa, that’s not enough then.’ Then, they get a little more sensitized and then it was longer,” Mr. Biden told NBC.
The White House released a statement Monday night, condemning the graphic display of domestic violence.
“The president is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society. Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that’s true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that’s bigger than football — and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it,” press secretary Josh Earnest said.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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