A North Carolina state Democrat was excoriated for posting what many saw as incitement to political violence on her social media account as a part of the No Kings protests.
State Rep. Julie von Haefen posted the offensive image on her X social media account on Saturday but deactivated the entire account after a public outcry.
‘One of the images of a protestor holding a sign was inappropriate, and I later edited the video to remove the photo.’
The post showed a woman holding up a sign that read, “In these difficult times some cuts may be necessary,” with the image of a guillotine. On either side of the sign were two human head props, one of which appeared to bear the likeness of President Donald Trump. The other person had a Nazi swastika written on his forehead.
Von Haefen addressed the controversy in a post on Sunday.
“Yesterday, I posted a video on social media containing crowd photos from the No Kings protest in Raleigh. One of the images of a protestor holding a sign was inappropriate, and I later edited the video to remove the photo,” the Democrat wrote.
She pointed to the recent lethal shootings in Minnesota targeting lawmakers and said she unequivocally rejects political violence.
“Let me be clear: I condemn political violence in all forms,” she continued. “My focus remains on bringing people together and fighting for the values that matter to North Carolinians. Like so many, I was horrified by the violence in Minnesota. There is no place for that kind of extremism in our democracy, no matter the target, no matter the party.”
RELATED: From ‘F**k Trump’ to handshakes: ‘No Kings’ rally in Texas stays civil
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Among those who criticized van Haefen was Republican North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall.
“On the same weekend that a gunman in Minnesota targeted state lawmakers in an act of political violence, and after two attempted assassinations of President Trump within the past year, Representative von Haefen (D-Wake) shared an image of a ‘protest sign’ that glorifies violence against her political opponents-including President Donald Trump,” said Hall on social media.
“Her disgraceful behavior fails to meet the standards expected from House members and sets a dangerous precedent in an already volatile political climate,” he added. “I am examining next steps with our legislative attorneys to ensure this behavior does not continue.”
The North State Journal pointed out that the deletion of the account might be a violation of state records retention laws for elected officials.
Thousands protested against Trump’s presidency and policies in No Kings demonstrations across the country. Less than 2% of the population showed up to the protests, according to some estimates.
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