Trump Tower in Chicago surrounded by SWAT teams after woman entered building carrying rifle

Trump Tower in Chicago surrounded by SWAT teams after woman entered building carrying rifle



At least part of Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago was reportedly placed on lockdown after a woman wielding a rifle was seen entering the building.

Just before 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, an unidentified woman was spotted entering the hotel located along the Chicago River. Reports indicate that the incident may be related to a domestic dispute and that the woman allegedly stated she "was tired of being abused by her husband."

The woman may live in the building, as it offers both temporary stays and long-term apartment housing. Some units are even available for purchase. SWAT teams quickly arrived on the scene and rushed to an apartment on the 27th floor, where the woman had reportedly gone.

There have been no reports of gunfire or any violent outbreaks, and Chicago police indicated that there was no imminent threat to the public. The incident has been described as "domestic" in nature, and police do not believe it is related to terrorism.

🚨BREAKING: SWAT teams surround Trump Tower in Chicago in response to active shooter pic.twitter.com/Cf30OWgp8a
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 5, 2023

Though police seem cautiously optimistic that the incident has been contained, at least part of the building was temporarily locked down. A resident identified only as Steve told WBBM that he had been prevented from re-entering his home after he stepped outside the building for a moment.

"I was just doing some housework and some cooking, and I decided to take some air," Steve explained. "I came down to the lobby and I was quickly escorted away from the lobby, out of the building and was told not to come back until it was clear.

"I asked several times what was going on, and they wouldn’t acknowledge," he added.

Steve lives at Trump Tower. He tells @WBBMNewsradio what happened when he stepped outside this morning.

Some residents are still not allowed back into the building. Chicago Police say they’ll have a statement shortly. pic.twitter.com/W0B5GrgZOK
— Rachel Pierson (@WBBMRachel) April 5, 2023

The incident comes just one day after former President Donald Trump, who founded the Trump Organization, which opened Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago in 2009, was arrested and formally charged with 34 felonies in New York City. On Tuesday, Trump pled not guilty in an NYC court and then returned to Mar-a-Lago, where he gave a fiery speech, proclaiming his innocence and condemning the process as a politically driven "witch hunt."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Kathy Griffin uses her dead mother's Twitter account to resume war with Elon Musk after getting suspended from platform for impersonating him



Comedian and left-wing attack dog Kathy Griffin began using her dead mother's Twitter account to continue doing battle with new Twitter owner Elon Musk after she was suspended from the social media platform Sunday for impersonating him.

\u201c@elonmusk I\u2019m back from the grave to say\u2026\n#FreeKathy \n#TipIt\u201d
— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1667775222

"I'm back from the grave to say ... #FreeKathy ..." the account for Griffin's late mother read Sunday evening. That was followed by the following message: "Apologize in advance for all the comments you’re gonna have to read about how ugly I am, and they’re probably gonna throw you in there, too. Oh, by the way this is KG. I’m tweeting from my dead mother’s account. She would not mind."

Musk, as he is wont to do, expertly trolled Griffin, noting on Twitter that "actually, she was suspended for impersonating a comedian" — a quip that's garnered nearly 450,000 likes and counting since Sunday evening.

He wasn't done:

\u201c@bennyjohnson @kathygriffin For $8\u201d
— Benny Johnson (@Benny Johnson) 1667777736

Griffin gets all worked up

Griffin can be a relentlessly surly soul when she's offended. We're talking about someone who accused a non-celebrity of attending the Jan. 6 riots and reported the person to the FBI — all after this everyday individual called Griffin "despicable."

So you know she's obsessed with digging into Musk with her myriad claws.

After Musk joked that Griffin was "suspended for impersonating a comedian," she got predictably fired up:

\u201c@elonmusk @bennyjohnson @kathygriffin I mean\u2026 you stole that joke, you asshole. People have been posting that joke for hours, you hack.\nLook, please do a better job running this company. It used to mean something. \nThis is KG btw\u201d
— Benny Johnson (@Benny Johnson) 1667777736

“I mean… you stole that joke, you asshole,” she wrote from her deceased mom's account. “People have been posting that joke for hours, you hack. Look, please do a better job running this company. It used to mean something. This is KG btw.”

Some other tries from Griffin:

\u201c@saraschaefer1 I honestly think it\u2019s because it\u2019s me, and because the tweets I was trying to write in his voice were pro democrats and had hashtags like #VoteBlueToProtectWomen and #voteblue and pro @BetoORourke etc.\nOh Sara, this is KG btw.\u201d
— Maggie Griffin (@Maggie Griffin) 1667791219
\u201cElon, this is Maggie contacting you from the spirit world tell u\u2026you\u2019re a douchebag. This is not parody. This is the actual ghost of Kathy Griffin\u2019s boxed wine loving mother saying I\u2019m gonna get tipsy & throw my bingo cards at you! NOT A PARODY. \nTo the moon, a**hole. #FreeKathy\u201d
— Maggie Griffin (@Maggie Griffin) 1667835391

The New York Post noted that Griffin "risks getting her mom’s account suspended too because Twitter’s 'ban evasion policy' clearly states that 'Twitter reserves the right to also permanently suspend any other account we believe the same account holder or entity may be operating in violation of our earlier suspension, regardless of when the other account was created.'"

Griffin's long line of nastiness

Back in 2017, Griffin was granted a short respite from her life on the D list after infamously posing with a fake bloody head of then-President Donald Trump during a photo shoot. She soon apologized in the wake of massive backlash, and the stunt earned her a visit from the Secret Service. Later that year, Griffin took back her apology.

As readers of TheBlaze know all too well, Griffin's nastiness is legendary:

Democrats melt down, blame 'white supremacy' and racism for Republicans winning Virginia elections



Democrats are going through the seven stages of grief.

After Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia gubernatorial election on Tuesday, left-wing political analysts and personalities angrily claimed racism and white supremacy fueled the Republican Party's victorious night.

What was the reaction?

From declaring that caring about education is a racist dog whistle to claiming America "simply loves white supremacy," Democrats, progressives, and other left-wing personalities sought to blame McAuliffe's loss on anything but the Democratic agenda.

  • MSNBC host Joy Reid: "The exit polls showed that, which was interesting, that the Coronavirus or that the virus was a very low importance to many voters. It was 'education,' which is code for 'white parents don't like the idea of teaching about race.' And I mean, unfortunately, race is just the most palpable tool in the toolkit, it used to be of the Democratic Party back in the day when they were Dixiecrats and now of the Republican Party."
  • Reid also said, "Republicans are dangerous" because the GOP stokes a "kind of soft white nationalism eventually leads to the hardcore stuff."
  • "1619 Project" creator Nikole Hannah-Jones: "The only racial dog whistles in American politics are the ones heard by the media, because for the rest of the country it's explicit. If the only educational concern in the election was the teaching of race and racism, then the issue wasn't education: it was and is always RACE."
  • Atlantic writer Jemele Hill: "It's not the messaging, folks. This country simply loves white supremacy."
  • Daily Beast columnist Wajahat Ali: "Whiteness remains undefeated. Let's wait and see who those white suburban voters went for tonight in Virginia. Any guesses?"
  • Walter Shaub: "Youngkin won because he convinced a lot of Virginians that their kids should never ever learn that their state was the last state in the union to desegregate. It would be one thing if he won because of some random policy issue. But he ran on straight up racism. What a disgrace."
  • Radio host Dean Obeidallah: "Dear media: Republican voters are not excited by the issue of 'Education.' Republican voters are excited by the issue of WHITE SUPREMACY."
  • Professor Brittney Cooper: "White supremacy is indefatigable. That truth is both personal and political this week. Long way of saying I'm tired."
  • Howard Dean: "Racism still works in Virginia."

What is the irony?

While Democrats and left-wing pundits blamed racism for Democrats losing, the Republican Party was busy electing Virginia's first female black lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, and first Hispanic attorney general, Jason Miyares.

Meet Winsome Sears, Virginia\u2019s new Lieutenant Governor. \n\nShe is a black woman who immigrated from Jamaica, served in the Marines, has a Masters degree, ran a women\u2019s homeless shelter, raised 3 kids\u2014 and now she has made history.pic.twitter.com/AFPdR0jSG0

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) 1635943220

The cognitive dissonance is, in fact, deafening.

As political observers pointed out, the election results demonstrate that Democrats should, instead of screaming "racism" every time they lose an election, perhaps investigate why many voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 now voted for Republicans.

This is quite the image from @nytimes. All those red arrows show a shift to the Republican Party in Virginia.pic.twitter.com/3C368p7iAW

— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) 1635933459

Will that happen? As one sarcastic reaction aptly noted, "Why self-reflect when you can just blame racism?"

DeSantis says 'we have to protect the jobs,' vows to sue Biden over vaccine mandate: 'You are trying to plunge people into destitution'



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hammered President Joe Biden this week over the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The Republican governor of Florida vowed to sue the Biden administration over the vaccine mandate, and proclaimed that it is "fundamentally wrong to be taking people's jobs away," especially after they worked during the deadly pandemic.

"Let's not have Biden come in and effectively take away — threaten to take away — the jobs of people who have been working hard throughout this entire pandemic," DeSantis said during a Thursday press conference on monoclonal antibody treatments in Fort Myers, Florida. "I am offended that a police officer could potentially lose their job."

DeSantis maintained, "We have a responsibility at the state level to do whatever we need to do to protect Floridians from mandates that could result in them losing their jobs. We have to protect the jobs of Floridians."

DeSantis highlighted the health care workers who worked on the frontlines during the pandemic — the same workers that Biden previously called "heroes" — who would lose their jobs because of Biden's vaccine mandate.

"I just think its fundamentally wrong to be taking people's jobs away particularly given the situation that we see ourselves facing with the economy where you need people in a lot of these key areas," DeSantis remarked. "What's going to happen with these hospitals if these mandates are allowed to go in, where they already need more nurses?"

At another news conference on Friday, DeSantis continued to skewer Biden's vaccine mandate. DeSantis picked apart Biden's comments from this week, where the president said the vaccine mandates shouldn't "divide us."

Biden said on Thursday, "Let's be clear: Vaccination requirements should not be another issue that divides us. That's why we continue to battle the misinformation that's out there and companies and communities are stepping up as well to combat this misinformation."

DeSantis postured that taking away people's livelihood ignites divisiveness.

The Florida governor asserted, "Just think of Biden, he says, 'Don't make the vaccines divisive.' Don't make the vaccines divisive? You are trying to take peoples' jobs away over this issue. You are trying to plunge people into destitution."

"You are taking away their livelihoods. Nobody else is doing that. You are the one that's being divisive about this," he stated.

NOW - Florida's Gov. DeSantis accuses Biden to divide the country through vaccine mandates.https://t.co/C6U7ur3LoS

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) 1634318694.0

"No one should lose their job over these shots," DeSantis stated. "I think we want to protect people's jobs. These are folks that have been working throughout this whole time. They were put in situations where they were exposing themselves to risks knowingly to help others, and they did that, and we considered them heroes just a year ago. Now you're going to let them go by the wayside?"

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on opposing Biden's mandate: "No one should lose their job over these shots. I think we w… https://t.co/z5P2skviqU

— The Hill (@thehill) 1634396460.0

DeSantis pledged to sue the Biden administration over a forthcoming rule requiring private businesses with 100 workers or more to force their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration-enforced rule would reportedly affect more than 130,000 U.S. businesses and apply to roughly two-thirds of the private sector workforce.

"We are going to contest that immediately. We think the state of Florida has standing to do it and we also know businesses that we're going to work with to contest it," DeSantis said. "I think the mandate is going lose in court."

DeSantis said that Florida-based lawsuits against federal vaccine mandates will be filed in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Monday that prohibits mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations in the Lone Star State.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," Abbott said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the White House stressed that the Biden administration would push for a nationwide vaccine mandate despite Texas and Florida opposing them.

"These requirements are promulgated by federal law, so when the president announced his vaccine mandates for businesses — that, of course, we're waiting on OSHA regulations for as a next step — that was pursuant to federal law," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

"Our intention is to implement and continue to work to implement these requirements across the country, including in the states where there are attempts to oppose them," she added.

"Governor Abbott's executive order banning mandates and, I would also note, the announcement by Gov. DeSantis this morning essentially banning the implementation of mandates, fit a familiar pattern that we've seen of putting politics ahead of public health," Psaki claimed.

Psaki on TX Gov. @GregAbbott_TX and FL Gov. @RonDeSantisFL banning vaccine mandates:"Our intention is to implemen… https://t.co/YaDh6tnaB1

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) 1634063064.0

Psaki says Biden wants to make a 'fundamental change' to the American economy and that 'coming out of the pandemic' is the perfect time to do it



President Joe Biden wants to steal from Barack Obama's playbook.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted Tuesday that Biden is hoping to make a "fundamental change" to the American economy. Obama, while campaigning for president in 2008, infamously promised he would be "fundamentally transforming" America.

What did Psaki say?

During Tuesday's press briefing, Psaki was asked how Biden feels about his "Build Back Better" plan falling through the cracks.

Although Congress will likely pass a law eventually to implement some of Biden's agenda items, the final product won't be the $3.5 trillion progressive dream that Biden proposed earlier this year. In order to win support from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Democrats will be forced to slim down the bloated legislation.

After explaining the ongoing negotiation between lawmakers and Biden, Psaki revealed Biden's motive for pursuing a massive spending bill at this moment.

"The president wants to make fundamental change in our economy, and he feels coming out of the pandemic is exactly the time to do that," Psaki said.

"And if we don't do it now, if we don't address the cost of childcare ... if we don't address the climate crisis, if we don't ensure that universal pre-K is a reality now, we're not going to have the same opportunity to do it for some time," she added.

PSAKI: "The President wants to make fundamental change in our economy and he feels coming out of the Pandemic is ex… https://t.co/rOxwrzyswD

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) 1634064095.0

Orchestrating fundamental change for America may be a new talking point from the Biden administration. Psaki, in fact, used that language several times during the press briefing.

When asked earlier in the briefing about legislative negotiations, Psaki said of Biden, "No matter how you cut it, though, his view is we can still do something historic and that will fundamentally change the economy for the American people."

Later, Psaki said the administration's priority in passing a massive spending bill is to "make some fundamental changes." Still later, Psaki said the goal of the Biden administration, once Congress acts on government funding and the debt ceiling, is to initiate fundamental change in America.

"And then we can move forward on key components of the president's agenda that will fundamentally change the economy and make the lives of so many people in this country better," she said.

Black father blasts critical race theory in front of school board, says it teaches his daughter than her white mother 'is evil'



A father stood before a public school board recently and deftly destroyed critical race theory, not only saying it's a concept meant for the collegiate level but also noting that it influences students of different races to "hate each other."

What are the details?

The fact that Ian Rice is black matters a great deal because he also said, "Critical race theory is teaching that white people are bad. That's not true. That would teach my daughter that her mother is evil."

He told the board he has two children in the district.

"This board and this school district is failing," Rice also said. "[Critical race theory] was never meant to be brought into grade schools, high schools — at all. It's actually taught in the collegiate atmosphere — and more importantly the legal portion of the collegiate atmosphere to see different laws through the lens of race ... from an ethical standpoint — not for grade schoolers and high schoolers."

He added that "the problem with bringing it to the high-school and grade-school level is we don't have the educators to properly teach these kids. Instead they're using as their own agenda to indoctrinate the kids to hate each other."

Daughter 'ridiculed'

To make matters worse, Rice told the school board that at one point a staff member pulled his daughter aside and said, "Well, you're a minority, so you know better than to engage in certain things."

The assertion drew some gasps from meeting attendees — but not as pointedly as when he added that when the incident was brought to school's attention, nothing was done to the educator — but instead his daughter was "ridiculed."

"What is your criteria to educate the educators?" Rice asked the board. "And who are you to educate my children — or any of our children — in life issues? That's our job. Your job is to teach them math and science. Our job is to teach them about life."

He added that although there's still "a long way to go," racism and issues surrounding it are "nowhere near what they used to be decades ago."

"But I believe the people here don't look at me as a black man; they look at me as a man standing in front of you addressing the issue that we all are very passionate about," Rice said in conclusion, after which applause broke out in the room.

Amazing parent testimony on Critical Race Theory in our schools. https://t.co/Llbe0yBn4U

— James Lindsay, uncitable (@ConceptualJames) 1625453929.0

Early in Rice's remarks he mentioned his children are part of the "Caledonia school district." It would appear he's referring to Caledonia Community Schools in Michigan, as another parent posted video of her speaking at what appears to be the same school board meeting last month.

In the following clip, Angela Rigas also took the school board to task, saying it's "going down the wrong path." She ripped wearing masks and what she said was a proposal to test students twice weekly for COVID-19: "I'm sorry, but you are not my kids' physician, and you will never, ever have permission to do any sort of medical procedure or test on my child." Rigas' words drew loud applause.

She also criticized the district's "radical, progressive policies that are ruining our country" before bringing up critical race theory, saying "we are not for racism. If you took the CRT curriculum and took out the word 'white' every time you're shaming a white person and replaced it with 'black,' you then would actually realize it's racist ... and it needs to stop."

Is this a trend?

Last month, another black father — Ty Smith — took down critical race theory in front of an Illinois school board.

"You're going to deliberately teach kids, 'This white kid right here got it better than you because he white?'" Smith asked the board of Bloomington School District 87. "You're going to purposely tell a white kid, 'Oh, the black people are all down and suppressed.' How do I have two medical degrees if I'm sitting here oppressed?"

Watch this parent absolutely obliterate Critical Race Theory at an Illinois school board meeting:“How do I have t… https://t.co/9jjOoGGY3I

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) 1623961928.0

Black father destroys critical race theory at school board meeting: 'How did I get where I am right now if some white man kept me down?'



Ty Smith — a black man who has two sons, 17 and 19 — absolutely annihilated critical race theory during his comments to an Illinois school board earlier this month, saying it will teach children of different races to "hate each other" and will reverse Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream that all people may be judged by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin.

What are the details?

"You're going to deliberately teach kids, 'This white kid right here got it better than you because he white?'" Smith asked the board of Bloomington School District 87. "You're going to purposely tell a white kid, 'Oh, the black people are all down and suppressed.' How do I have two medical degrees if I'm sitting here oppressed?"

Watch this parent absolutely obliterate Critical Race Theory at an Illinois school board meeting:“How do I have t… https://t.co/9jjOoGGY3I

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) 1623961928.0

Smith added that he grew up with no mother or father in the house and "worked my way through college, sat there and hustled my butt off to get through college. You're going to tell me somebody look like all y'all white folks kept me from doing that? Are you serious? Not one white person ever came to me and said, 'Well, son, you're never gonna be able to get nowhere because, you know, the black people,' but guess what? What's sickening about this whole thing is what y'all doing right now is already something I do in my community right now, to speak out against [this stuff] because black folks are getting told by other black folks, 'Oh, you know, you ain't going to be able to do nothing out there in the world because them white folks ain't going to let get no … the white man gonna keep you down.'"

Smith said he wasn't buying critical race theory because how he chose to live his life proved to him that his skin color wasn't a barrier.

"How did I get where I am right now if some white man kept me down? How am I now directing over folks that look just like you guys in this room right now? How? What kept me down? What oppressed me?" Smith asked what appeared to be a room full of mostly white listeners. "I worked for myself from off the streets to where I am right now, and you're going to sit here and tell me this lie of critical race theory? ... The reason why black folks can't get ahead because of white folks? Are you kidding me? This is what we've come to? I can't believe we even talking about this right now."

He added that if critical race theory is allowed to be taught to children in the schools, it will reverse King's dream of racial equality: "So, when February comes, don't talk about Martin Luther King ... if y'all going to sit there and just pretty much just pee on his grave with this nonsense. That's exactly what's about to happen."

Smith concluded his remarks by saying critical race theory is "BS."

'This systemic racism, where's it at?'

Following his school board address, Smith spoke with Fox News' Martha MacCallum about his concerns regarding critical race theory and his life experiences.

Smith — who is host of "Cancel This with Ty Smith" on WRPW-FM — told MacCallum that despite the disadvantages he grew up with, he made decisions along the way to make his life better.

"I went beyond this stuff," he said, which led to him "becoming successful."

Indeed, Smith's radio station bio notes that he "grew up in the tough neighborhoods of Decatur, and knows first hand the struggles people in poverty have. He will dive into why the media's message to disadvantaged people is wrong, and what we should be telling those struggling."

Smith also wasn't buying leftist virtue-signaling — particularly those who march in the streets with "their fists up," because he said "none of them" ever go to the communities he works with every day.

He added to MacCallum that he also began asking questions like, "This systemic racism, where's it at?" But in the end, despite trying to find it so he could figure out how to deal with it, no one could ever show Smith evidence of systemic racism.

(H/T: The Daily Wire)

10-year-old boy goes viral for impassioned speech to school board, arguing to end mask rules



A 10-year-old boy made an impassioned speech to his school board last week arguing for the panel to end its mask mandate in the district, and the video of his argument has gone viral.

The child addressed an emergency meeting of Florida's Martin County School Board, where he called out the hypocrisy of adults he saw flouting the same rules being imposed on kids.

What are the details?

"I expected school to be a little bit different in the beginning, but I didn't think it would stay this way all year long," the fourth grader identified only as John, begins. "And I was surprised by the rules. A lot of them didn't make any sense to me, like the fact that we were not allowed to play on the playground or have student council — or turn to face each other a lunch. And, we also have to wear masks outside at PE and on track."

John pointing out during his speech that he has seen multiple instances of teachers breaking the mask requirements. One teacher, he says, yelled at kids for pulling down their masks to drink water outside while waiting to be picked up by their parents.

"She had her mask down the entire time she was yelling at us, which makes me and all my friends very mad," John explained.

"This happens a lot," he continued. "And it seems unfair teachers take their masks off while they yell at us kids and that we need to pull ours up. I asked my mom if there was a word for this, and she said there is: hypocrisy."

The boy went on to say that he ran into his own teacher outside of school a few weeks ago, and "she didn't even recognize me, because she's never seen my face before."

"I know it was her because she sits at her desk a lot without a mask on," John said, adding, "I know my teacher has asthma and everything, but I understand why it's hard for her to wear a mask. And I think she should have that choice. But I should, too."

"I have allergies and I feel really anxious with my face covered, but I'm not allowed a mask break like her," he argued. "It seems unfair. All this seems unfair and it doesn't make sense."

This 10 year-old boy just obliterated his school board's mask mandate and calls out its unfairness and hypocrisy.… https://t.co/RZnC5UPdTH
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) 1621353218.0

Anything else?

BizPac Review reported that John made his speech with twelve days remaining in the school year, in hopes that the board might lift their mask mandates for the remainder of the year. But no luck: The board voted 4 to 1 to make masks optional starting the day after the school year ends.

Dem Congressman’s Spokesman Appears To Call For GOP Opponent, A Vet, To ‘Burn In Hell And Die’

On Saturday morning, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb retweeted a tweet in such a way that it appeared he was targeting Lamb’s GOP opponent, Sean Parnell, with the message, “Burn in hell and die.” That staffer happened to be Lamb’s brother Coleman, who added to the retweet, “Can add @SeanParnellUSA here.” The […]

On Saturday morning, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb retweeted a tweet in such a way that it appeared he was targeting Lamb’s GOP opponent, Sean Parnell, with the message, “Burn in hell and die.”

That staffer happened to be Lamb’s brother Coleman, who added to the retweet, “Can add @SeanParnellUSA here.”

The original Tweet was deleted but here it is: pic.twitter.com/Y32v9UDpEB

— Benny (@bennyjohnson) July 18, 2020

In response, Parnell issued a statement asserting, “It is disappointing that Conor Lamb’s brother, a leader in his campaign, would stoop so low as to call for the death of a political opponent. It is distasteful and hateful rhetoric that has no place in political discourse. In the spirit of today’s cancel culture, one would expect calls for Coleman Lamb’s immediate dismissal. However, I believe that everyone needs a little grace from time to time. As despicable as Coleman Lamb’s comments are, everyone makes mistakes, and I hope that Coleman Lamb, Conor Lamb, and their campaign team can learn from it.”

As reported by The Washington Examiner, Parnell campaign spokesman Andrew Brey pointed out, “The tweet comes on the heels of this week’s release of campaign finance data showing that Parnell outraised Lamb nearly 2-1 in the second quarter of 2020. Parnell raised over $717,000; Lamb raised only $441,393 during the same period.”

Lamb won his seat in March 2018 by half a point against his Republican opponent, the Examiner notes, and following that election, the state Supreme Court approved a new congressional district map, making it more Democrat-leaning, prompting Lamb’s 13-point victory that November.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, before Coleman Lamb retweeted the “Burn in hell” tweet, a Twitter user going by the name “Sean Strnad” posted a message about the late Congressman John Lewis, opining that Lewis “deserved to see [Vermont Sen.] Bernie Sanders nominated for the Democratic presidential ticket … But as a sellout, [Mr. Lewis] endorsed Joe Biden. So now, well, he’s not going to miss out on too much, unfortunately.”

The Gazette reported that Coleman Lamb replied, “You are literally a clown. You deserve nothing,” then added, “This is the Trump/[Sean Strnad] campaign.” Another user then reportedly responded to the Strnad account posting the message about Lewis, writing, “Burn in hell and die.”

Coleman Lamb then retweeted the “Burn in hell” tweet, adding, “Can add [Sean Parnell] here.”

Lamb’s campaign manager, Abby Nassif-Murphy, stated that Coleman Lamb “did not threaten anyone,” but tagged Mr. Parnell’s account “while responding to vile tweets from the Republicans attacking John Lewis in the hours after his death.” She admitted, “It was intemperate and [Coleman] should’ve realized how it could be misconstrued.” She continued that Parnell, his supporters and “the paid trolls in the national Republican party say all kinds of things about us on Twitter,” adding that “we don’t complain and the media doesn’t cover it — nor should they.”

Parnell, who served with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, is the author of The New York Times bestselling book Outlaw Platoon, the story of his platoon’s combat in Eastern Afghanistan.

The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.