LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Republican lawmakers are starting to speak out about the MIGOP co-chair’s tweet insulting Pete Buttigieg.
On Sunday, Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock took to Twitter to call Buttigieg a “weak little girl.”
The comment against the U.S. Secretary of Transportation was met with many replies, most of which called Maddock homophobic.
Maddock insulted Buttigieg in a response to an RNC Research Twitter video in which the Afghanistan veteran expressed interest in California’s ban on new gas cars.
“We’re so blessed this weak little girl moved to Michigan! Looks like he’s bringing all his California Dreaming here with him,” Maddock said on Twitter.
Michigan House Rep. Jack O’Malley was “disgusted” by Maddock’s tweet.
“When I saw this tweet I was disgusted. I mean we are in an era of name-calling and disrespect. It needs to stop. Disagreeing is one thing but insults and slurs…enough,” O’Malley said on his Facebook page.
Republican State Sen. Wayne Schmidt was also dismayed.
“I’m not sure I even recognize the Republican party of today. This is not the party I have been a part of my entire political career,” said Schmidt on Facebook. “Denigrating slurs and highly personal insults have no space in respectful political discourse. We can disagree on policy without engaging in this type of behavior. We are better than this.”
Maddock has not publicly responded to the backlash or remarks from conservative lawmakers.
