Leslie Gibson, who is currently the only declared candidate for the 57th district in Maine, took to Twitter to attack two of the survivors of the Parkland High School shooting – calling one a ‘skinhead lesbian’ and the other a ‘bald-face liar’
A Republican candidate for the Maine House of Representatives has apologized after insulting survivors of the Parkland High School shooting, stressing he got ‘very passionate’ about constitutional rights.
Leslie Gibson, who is currently the only declared candidate for the 57th district, was speaking about two of the most prominent survivors of the massacre, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, when he made his comments.
‘There’s nothing about this skinhead lesbian that impresses me and there is nothing to say unless you’re frothing at the mouth moonbat,’ Gibson wrote in a response to a The Hill article about Gonzalez.
In a later tweet he said calling her a survivor disingenuous because ‘she was in a completely different part of the school,’ than where the students were gunned down.
The political hopeful also called Hogg a ‘bald-faced liar’ after a comment the teen made in a CNN interview in which she said NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch ‘owns congressmen.’
‘Dana Loesch ‘owns’ Congressmen?’ Gibson said about Hogg’s interview. ‘Completely absurd. Hogg doesn’t get a pass when he blatantly lies.’
The GOP candidate was speaking about two of the most prominent survivors of the massacre, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg respectively when he made his comments
‘There’s nothing about this skinhead lesbian that impresses me and there is nothing to say unless you’re frothing at the mouth moonbat,’ Gibson wrote in a response to a The Hill article about Gonzalez
After receiving backlash for the comments, he took to Twitter to ‘sincerely apologize’ for the remark aimed at Gonzalez and to say it was ‘inappropriate to single out these students regardless of whether I agree with their message or not.’
He also added that he ‘took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States’ during his military career.
‘To me, that oath has no expiration date. However my passion for defending our rights must be tempered with civility, and that did not happen in this instance.’
But he added: ‘I stand firm in my defense of our constitutional rights.’
He later wrote: ‘I would like to extend to you [Gonzalez] my most sincere apology for how I addressed you.
‘It was wrong and unacceptable. You are doing work that is important to you. I would like to extend my hand in friendship and understanding to you.’
Patt Fogg, a Democratic organize in Greene, Maine, said left-wing voters are trying to find a candidate to run against Gibson for the seat.
‘I with I knew someone who could get into this race,’ Fogg told the Sun Journal.
‘That sort of stupidity really turns people off.’
Party candidates have until Thursday to file a petition and claim a spot on the ballet, though Independent politicians can file until June 1.
In a later tweet he said calling Gonzalez (pictured after speaking about gun control at a rally on February 17) a survivor disingenuous because ‘she was in a completely different part of the school,’ than where the students were gunned down
The political hopeful also called Hogg a ‘bald-faced liar’ after a comment the teen made in a CNN interview in which he said NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch ‘owns congressmen’
Gibson appears to have since deleted his personal Twitter account,though his campaign account remains active.
Gonzalez and Fogg have so far been two of the most vocal and prominent of the survivors of the shooting that left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14.
Gonzales, 18, has identified herself a Cuban bisexual in a piece she wrote for Harpar’s Bazaar in which she described many of her interests before saying: ‘but none of this matters anymore.’
‘What matters is that the majority of American people have become complacent in a senseless injustice that occurs all around them,’ she wrote, referring to school shootings.
‘What matters is that most American politicians have become more easily swayed by money than by the people who voted them into office.
‘What matters is that my friends are dead, along with hundreds upon hundreds of others all over the United States.’
Hogg has also been incredibly vocal since the Valentine’s Day tragedy, and has repeatedly called out NRA members both in person and on Twitter.
Just after the massacre he was one of a few accused of being a crisis actor and not a real student survivor.