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Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate (Democrat) It announced the sanctions on Monday morning, accusing Shriver of promoting a “sustained campaign of racist rhetoric and hate speech.” Shriver emphasized in a post Monday night, denying that sharing the image was racist.
“I am not (and have never been) a racist,” Shriver said. I have written. “So you can’t make a false political apology for views you don’t hold.”
Shriver and Tate did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday afternoon.
Mr. Shriver was elected in November 2022 to represent parts of Macomb and Oakland counties in the 66th District of the Michigan House of Representatives, and was removed from his position as a member of the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee. However, he will continue to be removed from his position as a committee member. Mr Tait announced the vote in the House of Commons. Staff in Schreiber’s office will be reassigned.
Shriver’s two-year term ends in January 2025.
Tate said he punished Shriver to ensure the safety of House staff.
“Congressman Shriver has a history of promoting dangerous theories and dangerous rhetoric that endangers the safety of Michigan residents and creates a hostile and unpleasant environment for other residents,” Tate said. .
The “Great Alternative Theory,” to which Shriver referred, was once a fringe term primarily associated with white supremacists, but has been used in Republican politics to stoke fears about immigration, election integrity and border security. It became increasingly accepted within the household and gradually entered the political mainstream. Conspiracy theories have led to horrific violence over the past few years, with shooters in Buffalo and El Paso in particular citing conspiracy theories as a reason to target communities of color.
Shriver shared a crude illustration of the conspiracy theory on Tuesday. It depicts a world map in which small groups of white people from North America, Europe, and Australia are surrounded by the rest of the planet’s black people.
State politicians on both sides of the aisle criticized the post. Tate and two of his Republican colleagues, Rep. Donnie Steele and Sen. John Damuth, released a statement condemning the post as racist. Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Democratic) and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II (Democratic) also participated.
“The abhorrent comments made by members of the Michigan House of Representatives run counter to the values of our state and nation,” Whitmer said in a statement. “We have a moral obligation to speak out against hate.”
When Shriver’s colleagues spoke up, he seemed to reaffirm his claims. “Was what I tweeted a lie?” He I have writtenclaims that Follow-up post He claimed that the accusations against him were a sign of “anti-white intent.”
Shriver continued posting about the conspiracy theory Monday night.
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