By Autumn Price

In light of these threats, Garrett’s town hall meeting Monday night was surrounded by law enforcement, in order to prevent attendees from disrupting the event.

“It’s nuts,” Garrett said.

Although the town hall went largely without incident, one woman was removed by police for “repeated disruptions.”

The House Freedom Caucus member says he and his chief of staff are trying to find “gallows humor” in the threats.

“He read one of the more recent correspondences and called me the next day and goes, ‘Dude, I’m glad you’re alive,” Garrett recalled.

“I served in the military. I reconciled myself with the reality that one day I’m not going to be here,” Garrett continued.

“I don’t want to die anytime soon. I got stuff left to do, I hope. But when you pull wives and children in, that’s not cool.”

According to the congressman, one threat was specifically directed at his wife, saying, “This is how we’re going to kill your wife.”

Garrett says this isn’t the first time his family has been threatened, noting that even his dog has been a target of threats.

Garrett says that he would “rather be overly cautious than complacent.”

“Here’s the fear that I have and I said this to some of the police officers here — that we have 40 police officers here and we do this 10 times and nothing ever happens, and we go ‘oh no problem,’” he said. “And then there’s five and then something does happen.”