Father of alleged Israeli Embassy staffers shooter was invited by a Dem to Trump's joint address

The dad of the guy nabbed for allegedly popping off shots at two Israeli Embassy workers outside D.C.'s Capital Jewish Museum this week was rubbing elbows with the elite at President Trump’s big Congress speech back in March, invited by none other than a Democratic rep from Illinois.

"Eric Rodriguez was our guest during the President’s Joint Speech to Congress, but we don’t know his family," a flack for Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital, trying to keep things tidy.
Eric Rodriguez, the old man in question, is an Iraq war vet and a union steward with the Service Employees International Union, clocking hours at a Chicago VA hospital, per the union’s website.

"Eric represents the very best of our community – someone who has served his country, continues to serve his fellow veterans and fights every day to protect the dignity of working people," García said back then, probably not expecting this mess.

On the day of Trump’s speech, Rodriguez was out there slamming the administration’s handling of veterans in a video SEIU tossed up online, making his feelings crystal clear.

Rodriguez and SEIU didn’t hit back when Fox News Digital came knocking for comment. No surprise there.

"The reason why I am in Washington, D.C., is because I’m concerned about what Donald Trump, Elon Musk and DOGE are doing to the VA system," Rodriguez said in that video, throwing shade. "They’re indiscriminately cutting people’s jobs, they’re cutting funding and people rely on these funds. People rely on these services."

Fast forward to Thursday, and Rodriguez’s kid, Elias, was hauled into federal court, staring down heavy charges, including two counts of first-degree murder. Cops say he gunned down Yaron Lischinsky, 28, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, as they stepped out of the Capital Jewish Museum.

Feds claim Elias rolled into D.C. from Chicago the day before, lugging a legal piece in his checked bag, then snagged a ticket to some American Jewish Committee shindig. An unsealed FBI affidavit paints a grim picture: surveillance allegedly catches Elias creeping up behind Lischinsky and Milgrim at a crosswalk, then letting loose.

As the two dropped, investigators say Elias kept blasting, paused to reload, and then went at it again, like something out of a bad movie.

When the cops closed in, Elias reportedly spilled, "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza. I am unarmed." Bystander video’s got him screaming "Free Palestine" as they cuffed him.

If the feds make it stick, Elias is looking at the death penalty or, at minimum, 30 years in the slammer.
"I strongly condemn this horrible, senseless act of antisemitism," García posted on X, trying to get ahead of the storm. "My heart is with the victims and everyone impacted by the attack. We mourn the lives lost and reject the idea that justice can be won through violence."

If you enjoy my blog, feel free to toss a virtual coffee my way on Buy Me a Coffee – it’s like a high-five with caffeine, and coffee keeps me focused. No pressure, it's your call.

Tweet