North Carolina state Rep. Julie von Haefen is in full retreat mode after Republicans seized upon a video she posted over the weekend on her since-deleted X account.
The video was shot at Saturday’s “No Kings” anti-Trump protest in Raleigh, one of several held across the country. As many as six million people were estimated to have attended the pro-democracy protests, dwarfing the attendance at the military parade held that same day, which was also the president’s birthday.
One of the protesters featured in the video posted by von Haefen, a Democrat, is holding a sign depicting a guillotine and a mask of what appears to be a beheaded Donald Trump. The caption reads, “In these difficult times, some cuts may be necessary.”
The video was considered particularly ill-timed in the wake of what authorities say were politically motivated shootings targeting Democrats in Minnesota earlier Saturday. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home, and Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot in their home but survived.
“Rep. von Haefen’s post is DESPICABLE,” Republican State Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County wrote on X. “Her decision to use an image where the President is beheaded & a swastika is present is disgusting. Her actions threaten our democracy and encourage political violence. Shame on you.”
Republican House Speaker Destin Hall called von Haefen’s behavior “disgraceful” and said he is consulting his legislative attorneys to determine how she should be disciplined.
In a statement to the Raleigh News and Observer, von Haefen acknowledged the protester’s “inappropriate” sign, adding she edited the video to remove the photo while noting some online “sources” incorrectly identified her as the person holding the offending image.
“Let me be clear: I condemn political violence in all forms,” her statement continued. “My focus remains on bringing people together and fighting for the values that matter to North Carolinians. Like so many, I was horrified by the violence in Minnesota. There is no place for that kind of extremism in our democracy, no matter the target, no matter the party.”
But Republicans weren’t in a forgiving mood. Dan Brown, a candidate for governor, said von Haefen should be investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, while a Republican constituent called for her arrest.
A press release sent late Monday morning from the state Republican Party called on her to resign “following her shocking social media post indicating support for the assassination of President Donald Trump.”
“The posts Rep. von Haefen shared do not show the judgment or temperament of someone to hold public office,” NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons said in a statement. “For the good of her constituents to have effective representation, she should resign.”
Republicans who criticize provocative political postings on social media do so knowing they run the risk of being labeled hypocrites, as Donald Trump and his allies have shared or produced content glorifying or advocating for political violence. But, as seen in the responses by North Carolina Republicans, most just don’t care.
In 2021, Arizona Republican Congressman Paul Gosar posted a photoshopped anime video to his Twitter and Instagram accounts showing him attacking then-President Joe Biden and apparently killing Democratic colleague Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Gosar, who refused to apologize, remains in Congress and was not censured or punished in any way by Republican leaders.
And just last year, on his social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump posted a series of violent, conspiracy-driven memes and statements against his political enemies. One showed his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, and other Democrats wearing orange jumpsuits, captioned, “HOW TO ACTUALLY ‘FIX THE SYSTEM.’” Another called for a military tribunal for former President Barack Obama.
There was also a vulgar caption added to a photo of Harris and Hillary Rodham Clinton: “Funny how blowjobs impacted their careers differently…”
The posts outraged his critics but there was little they could do about it without support from congressional Republicans, who stayed silent.
That double standard was mentioned by several commenters on the News and Observer website:
President Trump pardoned hundreds of convicted violent insurrectionists with zip ties who erected a gallows on the Capitol lawn for lawmakers … and Republicans are worried about a clever double entendre protest sign–a form of protected political speech–referencing DOGE cuts and the French Revolution? Puh-lease,” wrote one reader.
Added another, “I’m not interested in lectures on political correctness from Rep. Cotham.”
