MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) – State Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) is opening up about his recovery following a June attack by protesters in downtown Madison.
“It went on for a little while, you know kicking and punching and things of that nature,” Carpenter said. “It's a strange position to be in because I know I felt blood by my eye, my nose had been broken, and so I got a concussion.”
Carpenter was attacked after taking a video of the demonstrations outside of the State Capitol.
Carpenter said he was sucker-punched and kicked by a group of eight to 10 people.
“Recovery has been interesting,” Carpenter said. “There's not only the physical part but the psychological part, which is interesting to deal with because it's just frustrating when your own allies end up attacking you.”
Carpenter is also frustrated about how Republicans have talked about the attack.
During the state GOP convention held in Green Bay in July, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) spoke about up the incident involving Carpenter.
“God bless him, but I think about my colleague from the state senate—Tim Carpenter,” Tiffany said. “I hope he has a full recovery, but if there is any doubt what the mob is going to do go ask Tim Carpenter. He wasn't supposed to be one of those that was targeted, but the mob doesn't care. They want to tear America apart.”
“I don't know what's worse, the assault or people kind of using what happened for their own narrative to distort what was said,” Carpenter said.
President Trump also referred to the incident while taping a FOX News town hall special in Green Bay before visiting Fincantieri Marinette Marine for a tour in late June.
“The person they beat up was a Democrat who happened to be gay and he was probably out there rooting them on or something,” Trump said.
“When President Trump says 'probably' or 'I've heard' anything coming after that is a lie,” Carpenter said. “I think he was trying to throw red meat to his base by bringing up, I don't know what the reason for it would exactly be, but to say 'Oh, he's a gay Democratic state senator,' like that had something to do with it, which it didn't.”
Prosecutors have charged two Madison women, accused of beating Carpenter, with battery but he still hopes other attackers are brought to justice too.
“People have a right to peacefully demonstrate, but when it becomes attacking other people, going ahead and damaging the statues, the Capitol was assaulted, things of that nature, I just want it to stop,” Carpenter said.