WATCH: Rep. Tlaib Fights Back Tears In House Floor Speech About Death Threats Against Her and Her Family

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) fought back tears as she offered emotional testimony from the House floor on Wednesday night, describing how she felt “paralyzed” after receiving death threats targeting both her and her family, her shock watching the Capitol riot unfold on January 6, and her relief that she was not in the building that day.

In 2018, Tlaib became the first Palestinian-American to be elected to Congress, and one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, along with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).

“This is so personal,” an emotional Tlaib said, at the start of her remarks. “As many of my colleagues know, my closest colleagues know, on my very first day of orientation, I got my first death threat. It was a serious one.”

Tlaib described how the FBI had taken her aside to discuss the threat, one they felt was serious enough that they visited the man who had sent it at his home.

“I didn’t even get sworn in yet, and someone wanted me dead for just existing. More came later. Uglier, more violent,” she continued, citing a threat that was “celebrating” the Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shootings “and hoping that more would come.”

One particularly upsetting threat targeted her young son, Adam, even mentioning him by name.

“Each one, paralyzed me each time.”

Tlaib had to stop for a moment to regain her composure, as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) walked up to stand beside her and offer a reassuring pat on the back.

“So what happened on January 6, all I could do is thank Allah that I wasn’t here. I felt overwhelming relief, and I feel bad for Alexandria, and so many of my colleagues that were here. But as I saw it, I thought to myself, thank God I’m not there.”

“It’s hard,” she continued, “when my seven brothers and six sisters beg me to get protection, many urging me to get a gun for the first time.”

Watch the video above, via C-Span.