A survivor of the Pulse nightclub massacre is speaking out against Iowa’s Republican Congressman Steve King, and praising fellow shooting survivor Emma González. In an exclusive interview with NCRM, Brandon Wolf calls Congressman King “a repulsive bigot that wears his favorite colors proudly in the form of a Confederate flag on his desk.”
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Rep. King’s official campaign attacked Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting survivor Emma González, a founding member of the student led #NeverAgain & #MarchforOurLives movement. Using a picture taken by media photographers during her historic speech before the crowd of approximately 800,000 gathered along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Saturday, the King Campaign turned it into a meme and wrote:
“This is how you look when you claim Cuban heritage yet don’t speak Spanish and ignore the fact that your ancestors fled the island when the dictatorship turned Cuba into a prison camp, after removing all weapons from its citizens; hence their right to self defense.”
The campaign staff was criticising the Cuban flag patch on the jacket that Gonzalez was wearing at the event while giving her speech.
In response, Pulse Nightclub shooting survivor Brandon J. Wolf, who has been one of several persons mentoring the MSD students immediately responded angrily, writing:
“Are you SERIOUSLY mocking a school shooting survivor for her ethnic identity?!
Do you losers have NOTHING else to do anymore? Have you lost the will to govern? Do you need a safe space from these teenagers?
When it was my community, where were you? When it was Sandy Hook? Columbine? Were you on the sideline mocking those communities too? Did you question someone identifying as a mother? Did you question whether people like me were crisis actors?
Emma stood for 6 mins and 20 seconds to honor the lives of 17 gone too soon. The least you could do is shut your privileged, ineffective trap for 6 seconds to hear someone else’s perspective.”
The Campaign immediately replied writing, “Uh, no…. assuming quite a lot, aren’t ya? – Team King”
Brandon then fired back with:
“No, I’m wondering whether this is a common trend for you or the fear of actually having to get something done on this issue has you acting irrationally. If you don’t want to debate the issues with her, fine. But let the woman express her ethnic heritage however she pleases without piping verbal diarrhea from Iowa. It’s not cute.”
King’s campaign staff responded, “Only a brainwashed Lefty could possibly look at this meme and deduce there’s racial prejudice. Good luck to you. – Team King”
Wolf gets the last word, however.
“Steve King is and always has been a repulsive bigot that wears his favorite colors proudly in the form of a Confederate flag on his desk,” he told NCRM exclusively. “Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds should be embarrassed and ashamed to keep him on as her campaign co-chair.”
Wolf also praised González, calling her “a survivor and a warrior.”
“The country made it clear on Saturday that they stand with Emma,” he says. “It’s unfortunate that corrupt legislators at the highest levels of Iowa’s government do not reflect the country’s overwhelming support of Emma’s brand of optimism and hope.”
King’s campaign staff refused to comment and did not respond to an email inquiry. King’s Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill office deflected, saying that the campaign staff needed to address the issue.