A father from Arizona has been fired from his job after making what he called a ‘joke’ on Facebook about mowing down Trump protesters with his truck.
James Cobo, 34, wrote on his page ‘You are all pathetic. Cant wait to drive through. 4×4 with push bumper will be sweet in this crowd. I named my lifted truck ‘trumper’ before the anticipated protests for the Trump Rally in Phoenix on Tuesday.
The comment was posted just 10 days after protesters were plowed down demonstrating against white supremacists in Charlottesville, NC earlier this month. A speeding car killed 32-year-old demonstrator Heather Heyer.
James Cobo of Arizona lost his job after making threats to run over people protesting a Trump rally
‘Can’t wait to drive through. 4×4 with push bumper will be sweet in this crowd’
Cobo, who worked for West Valley Tires Point S, was fired from his job and publicly denounced by his former company.
West Valley Tires Point S issued a statement about Cobo:
‘West Valley Tires Point S wants to publicly state we do not condone or support violence or prejudice in anyway shape or form.’
‘We were recently made aware of an employee that posted outrageous posts and videos that are in no way affiliated with the positive views, values and appreciation we have for people in our community and throughout the world. That person is no longer affiliated with West Valley Tires Point S,’ the statement concluded.
Despite losing his job, Cobo backtracked in an interview, claiming his threat was only a joke.
‘I’m being made into a horrible person over a joke that was just meant to ruffle some feathers,’ Cobo told The Republic on Wednesday.
James Cobo (right) says he was joking when he took to Facebook to post that he would mow down a crowd of protesters in Phoenix, AZ
Police try to disperse crowds of anti-Trump protesters with tear gas following the rally in Phoenix, Arizona
‘I admit it was a tasteless joke, but keyword here is it was a joke. If anybody was ever going to go and intentionally hurt people, why would they talk about it on social media publicly before doing it?’
‘I never hurt anybody, nor did I have the intent to,’ Cobo said. ‘I never said I was actually going to hit anybody with a vehicle. They assumed it. Never would have thought it would be a big deal.’
Cobo says he ended up not attending the rally and has received death threats about his post. He had to buy surveillance cameras for his house.
He also took a jab at the family of Heyer.
‘If you play in the road, you might get hit by a car. My parents taught me that when I was little,’ he said. ‘Now, her family has $225,000, because she played in the street, and people feel sorry for her family.’
A GoFundMe page was set up for Heather and raised $225,000, before it was closed according to AZ Central.
‘I don’t care that I got fired. I already got another job,’ he said. ‘The only thing that upsets me about this situation is that adults are able to throw a tantrum and raise hell and get what they want by doing so. This is not how America is supposed to work.’