Antifa and potentially other paid professionals could be to blame for the spike in violence tied to the nationwide George Floyd protests, according to U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville).

Alabama has been witness to some of the rioting, which includes in downtown Birmingham but nothing like what many major American cities are experiencing.

During an appearance on Huntsville radio’s WVNN on Tuesday, Aderholt acknowledged his concern with Antifa.

“I’m concerned that a lot of people that are involved in this violence that we’ve seen is not really concerned about George Floyd or his family,” he said. “They’re just using this as an opportunity, and especially seeing it hijacked by groups like Antifa and other paid professionals that are behind a lot of this. Antifa is one of the groups that we understand, or is the understanding of many people that is behind this violence that is taking place.”

Aderholt pointed to Antifa’s flag, which he noted was the flag of Germany’s communist movement of the early 1930s and noted communism was an ideology Americans have not traditionally embraced.

“Most people, if you’re like me — you don’t really get around Antifa,” he said. “You don’t really know what the group is. It was recently pointed out to me that the Antifa flag is actually identical to the communist flag that was used in Germany back in the 1930s. It is definitely not something — they’re talking about anarchy, and they’re talking about issues supporting communism. It’s not something most of us are even familiar with, but I think especially those of us in Alabama. I think if you really peel down to what they are like, you see it’s not in keeping with what most Americans believe in.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Huntsville’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN.