The Wisconsin Green Party is standing by congressional nominee Matthew Arndt following his arrest over a confrontation with another driver during which he shouted obscenities about Israel and identified himself as a candidate.
The party’s Coordinating Council released a statement Tuesday backing Arndt, who is running in Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District. It comes five days after police arrested him in Mequon on suspicion of disorderly conduct with a hate crime enhancer. He has since been formally charged with one count of disorderly conduct.
The Heartland Post, which first reported on the incident, said it took place October 8, when Mequon police responded to an apparent road rage dispute involving two drivers that continued into a gas station parking lot. According to the publication, the second driver was an Israeli man whose car had a bumper sticker critical of Hamas, which he believed prompted the exchange.
The footage, provided from the angle of the other driver, shows Arndt identifying himself by name and as a congressional candidate in the 6th District. He called the man a “fucking traitor” during the encounter before shouting phrases like “fuck Israel” and “fuck the neocons.”
Arndt later acknowledged in an interview with FOX6 that he could have chosen his words better, but maintained that his criticism was directed at Israel and its government rather than Jewish people. The Wisconsin Green Party, meanwhile, told the same outlet that shouting obscenities at someone in a parking lot did not advance Palestinian rights and that it would await the police report before commenting further.
While its latest statement did not directly address the confrontation or associated criminal charge, the party did defend Arndt’s position on the war in Gaza, including his opposition to continued U.S. military assistance to Israel and support for Palestinian self-determination. It also argued that criticism of the Israeli government should not be confused with opposition to Jewish people.
“People in the 6th District have had plenty of opportunities to vote Republican or Democrat,” the party wrote. “They’ve heard the promises. They’ve watched the wars continue, healthcare costs climb, and corporations grow richer no matter which party controls Washington. It’s time to try something different.”
Arndt is running against Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, Democrat Brad Smith, and independents Mike Thurow and Elizabeth Fitzgibbon. His initial court appearance is reportedly scheduled for November 3, the same day as the general election.
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