Scalise talks congressional baseball shooting six years later: ‘God was on the field’
Julia Johnson
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EXCLUSIVE — This year’s annual Congressional Baseball Game will take place on the six-year anniversary of when House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) was shot and critically wounded during a Republican practice in 2017.
Scalise, who was the majority whip of the House of Representatives at the time, was struck by a bullet on June 14, 2017, after 66-year-old James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, opened fire during a baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia.
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Hodgkinson was ultimately killed by police, but not before five people at the field were injured.
The shooter was found to have targeted the practice because of his feelings toward Republicans and his anger after former President Donald Trump’s election in 2016.
Political violence wasn’t a new phenomenon in 2017, and it hasn’t disappeared in the years since.
In an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner, Scalise was asked if he thinks a similar attack could happen in the present.
“Well, I hope not,” he said. “But obviously, there’s still political violence that we see. I’ve always been very vocal against political violence because we have differences in this country — it’s, frankly, what makes us a great nation. But you don’t settle your differences with violence.”
“Clearly, that day, somebody showed up to the baseball field with the intent of killing every Republican on the field. And thank goodness, God was on the field and heroes — real heroes that made sure we all made it through that day alive,” he added.
Scalise almost didn’t make it through the day alive. The congressman was shot in the hip, nearly bleeding out on the field. He then had to undergo nine surgeries and relearn how to walk. He spent three and a half months in the hospital.
Asked how his worldview has been affected, the Louisiana Republican said, “Well, if anything, it gives perspective to what’s important in life.”
“I’m blessed with a great family. I’ve got great friends. I love the job that I do. And you know, when I was in the hospital for three and a half months, you know, my family was there really helping to give me strength,” he said. “People, friends, and strangers alike were praying. And I felt those prayers. It gave me strength in the recovery.”
Scalise recalled how he “had to go through multiple surgeries, nine surgeries. I had to learn how to walk again.”
“But I also wanted to get back to work and see my colleagues again and do the things that I love doing [and] fighting for the values that I believe in,” the congressman said.
“Luckily, I’m able to do that too,” he said.
Despite the harrowing experience and injury, Scalise remains involved with the annual baseball game. He’s also optimistic about the Republican team’s chances in 2023.
“We’re the defending champs right now, and we are focused on winning again,” he said.
As he referenced, the Republicans beat the Democrats 10-0 in 2022.
“We’ve got a great team. We show up at practice every day, and people are giving it their all,” the majority leader said of the Republican team.
He further described how special the experience is for lawmakers. “You get to play in the big league ballpark,” he said. “We raise probably about $1.5 million for local charities. It’s really helped a lot of local youth groups here in D.C., and we get about 20,000 people in the stands — that’s a lot of people.”
While the game is mostly for fun, he remains hopeful that the crowd will see “Republicans on top again.”
As for who this year’s Republican MVP will be, he shared a few predictions. One to watch, said Scalise, is Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), who “had a phenomenal game” last year. The year prior, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) “was our starting pitcher and hit a home run out of the park, which had never happened before since we’ve been playing in Washington Nationals Stadium,” he said.
“They’re both back and in great form,” Scalise said, adding that “we’ve got some new players too.”
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“You never know what’s going to emerge, who’s going to be the star player of the day, but the most important thing is that we get a win for the team,” he said.
The game will take place on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. in Nationals Park.