U.S. Rep. Mike Collins drew bipartisan rebukes when he refused to delete a social media post that agreed with an account with a history of racist and antisemitic posts.
The Jackson Republican was condemned by figures from both parties on Sunday when he seconded a social media post by an account that dubbed itself “Garbage Human” that appeared to criticize a Washington Post reporter’s Jewish heritage.
Former Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Democratic state Rep. Esther Panitch of Sandy Springs, the only Jewish member of the Georgia Legislature, were among those who panned Collins.
“It’s one thing to mistakenly respond to an antisemitic account,” Panitch said. “It’s another thing to double down on it and gaslight us like it never happened.”
Collins didn’t directly address the post, writing on the X social media platform late Sunday that some are “having a rough time wanting to see something that ain’t there. But don’t give up.”
Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin addressed the issue Monday on the floor of the Georgia Senate and encouraged Republicans to pressure Collins and his staff to take down the post.
“This type of behavior is exactly what we’re talking about when we say that we can’t let creeping antisemitism, whether it’s by joke, whether it sounds nihilistic or not, we can’t let it creep into our public discourse,” McLaurin said. “And certainly not at the level of a sitting US congressman.”
Collins on Monday shrugged off the pushback again, saying he intended to slam the Post reporter’s viewpoint — not her religion. His critics, he added, “just see stuff that ain’t there.”
Insider’s note: This was expanded from the PG A.M. newsletter.
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