Mark McCallister, a former second vice chair of the Mesa County Republican Party, posted a meme on Facebook recently depicting Trump placing a noose around the neck of Obama.
The image is accompanied by the word, “TREASON.”
McCallister didn’t return an email asking why he apparently posted the meme, obtained from a source.
Asked for a response, state Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta) said, “I didn’t see this on Mark’s Facebook page, so I cannot comment.”
“On account of the bitter divide at the Federal level, respect and a willingness act as decent humans is lacking.,” said Soper. “As we celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, I’d ask of politicos and the media alike to tone down fanning the flames of this divide, so that we can be civil and focus on helping those in need, spending time with family and friends during this Holiday season. This is a message for Republicans and Democrats.”
Writing in the Hill about effigies of presidents being hanged or destroyed, Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco pointed out that “Americans have a long history of citizens committing violence against president effigies to voice political dissent.”
Obama effigies hanging from nooses were not uncommon during his presidency, she writes.
“James Madison, John Tyler, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter were all burned in effigy during their presidencies,” she wrote.
“And each time this happened, the offending party leaders repudiated the distasteful and disrespectful actions of their constituents.”
McCallister left his Mesa County GOP Leadership role this year.
He attended the April Republican State Convention with fellow Republicans from Mesa County.
