Riverside County GOP’s Twitter account @RPRC tweeted the following meme last week.
This was tweeted from the Riverside County GOP Twitter account @RPRC @HillaryClinton https://t.co/Ua52d9RmxO pic.twitter.com/aodh36H8Xg
— Jeff Horseman (@JeffHorseman) August 3, 2016
The meme featured a medieval executioner, standing with an ax on gallows along with the text “I’m Ready for Hillary.”
The meme also contained the website address www.readyforhillary.com, which was the official website for Ready for Hillary, set up in 2013 as a fundraising platform for Hillary and founded by lawyers Steve and Amber Mostyn, who are big supporters of liberal politics.
As of July 10, 2015, the website was winding down. At that point, as per FEC guidelines, it changed it’s name to simply, “Ready PAC,” as Hillary had officially announced her run.
The offensive Tweet has been since removed, no doubt due to the reaction to such a violent image in the post.
The chairman of Riverside County GOP, Scott Mann issued an overdue statement of apology via the Press Enterprise:
“I was horrified and had the Tweet taken down immediately. While some may think it was political satire, it clearly has no place in American political dialogue. As Chairman of the Republican Party of Riverside County, I apologize to everyone and anyone who was offended by it. I have taken steps to ensure that the individual who posted the Tweet no longer has access and I can assure you the person responsible will be held accountable.”
Earlier he had said:
“That meme is nothing more than political satire. It simply expresses how Ms. Clinton seemingly has gotten away with every scandal and political flip-flop in her public life — from classified e-mail and Benghazi to her changing positions on health care, TPP, NAFTA, gay marriage, etc.”
Howard Katz, the country’s Democratic Party chairman, also addressed the meme via Press Enterprise, replying it:
“Is not political satire. That is a threat.”
Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has in the past encouraged his supporters to be violent to his opponent’s supporters.
Jeff Horseman has been retweeting the offensive meme, originally from @RPRC, the Riverside County GOP Twitter account. Following up with this Tweet, he talked about Nathan Miller, the man who was actually behind it:
The latest about the man behind the GOP "Ready for @HillaryClinton" hangman tweet https://t.co/MOGChtijji pic.twitter.com/H7xO6MTia6
— Jeff Horseman (@JeffHorseman) August 5, 2016
Miller is said to be remorseful (rightly so) for creating the meme. He also resigned from his job, on the 4th August, following the aftermath of the Tweet.
An apology is the least the Riverside County GOP could do, especially since Mann’s comments included an attempt to justify such a violent Tweet.
Violence has no place in politics, it is just not funny.
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
