WASHINGTON – National and local Republicans moved to distance themselves from Florida congressional candidate George Buck after he called for Rep. Ilhan Omar,
D-Minn., and other Democrats to be hanged for treason in a fundraising email.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), House Republicans’ campaign arm, removed Buck from their “Young Guns” program, the Republican program to recruit and fundraise for candidates in competitive races.
“[House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] made the decision to remove him from the program,” NRCC spokesman Bob Salera told USA TODAY, adding that Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who leads the NRCC, agrees.
“There’s no place for inciting violence in politics,” said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise in a statement. “Instead of doubling down on these disgraceful comments, the candidate ought to apologize unequivocally and denounce these unacceptable statements.”
Todd Jennings, the chair of the Pinellas County Republican Party, the local Republican Party chapter, wrote on Facebook, “There is no room for this kind of inflammatory rhetoric in either political party. No one should ever condone a candidate’s call for violence.”
Buck, whose website calls him a “Conservative, America-First Republican,” is running to challenge Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla,. a former governor of the state who has held the seat since 2017. National Republican groups aimed to flip the seat, though the race is rated “solid Democratic” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Buck also ran for Congress in 2018 in the same district, losing to Crist.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Buck had circulated a fundraising email repeating unsubstantiated accusations that Omar worked for the government of Qatar – an act of treason, the email alleged.
“We should hang these traitors where they stand,” the email said, reported the Tampa Bay Times.
The email, which included Buck’s signature, did not say who the “traitors” were, but it highlighted Crist, Omar, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Buck told the Tampa Bay Times, “Anyone who commits treason against the United States should be tried to the full extent of the law,” and sent the outlet the federal definition of the penalties for treason, which include the death penalty.
His campaign did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY
Tlaib responded on Twitter, saying that “white supremacy” had spread within the NRCC.
“They are raising money on a call to hang a Black Muslim member of Congress and too many are silent,” she tweeted.
Last week, Twitter banned one of Omar’s Republican challengers, Danielle Stella, for tweeting that Omar should be hanged for treason.
Omar slammed the rhetoric on Twitter, saying “violent rhetoric inevitably leads to violent threats, and ultimately, violent acts.”