Sid Miller just shared a FB post telling Muslim world it could be bombed like Nagasaki http://t.co/cASUmetKqy #txlege pic.twitter.com/OWpIleEF1g
— Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) August 17, 2015
he post was shared on Miller’s Facebook page over the weekend. It was removed on Monday, according to AP.
Todd Smith, a political consultant for Miller, said he didn’t know why the post was scrubbed. He added that Miller’s critics should demand an apology from Islamic terrorists, Iran and US President Barack Obama.
“We think those are all issues that deserve an apology and are much more serious than a thought-provoking Facebook post,”Smith said.
TX has largest Muslim population in the US, at 422K (http://t.co/Vz5rJKVDa0) Sid Miller should apologize for incredibly offensive FB post.
— Chris Turner (@ChrisGTurner) August 17, 2015
Smith said Miller was not the person who shared the post.
“We’re not going to apologize for the posts that show up on our Facebook page,” said Smith, who told the Texas Tribune that 18 people have access to Miller’s account. “I don’t know who did it, but I’m not going to start a witch hunt to find out who did.”
https://twitter.com/JohnGHendy/status/633684370881179649
He added that Miller would not take the position that an atomic bomb should be used against Muslims, though Miller has expressed his concerns over national security threats, AP reported.
Shortly before being sworn into office in January, Miller described what kept him up at night while speaking at a political forum.
“I do have some long-range concerns as I hold those two grandbabies on my lap, and I happen to wonder: When they have grandbabies to hold in their lap, will we be a socialist country? Will we be a Muslim country?”
Miller was unavailable to comment, as he is on a trade mission to China, his office said.
.@texasdemocrats call on Sid Miller to apologize: http://t.co/g7vhsL5IRp pic.twitter.com/0DQAWD3azY
— Bobby Blanchard (@bobbycblanchard) August 17, 2015
The Texas Democratic Party called the post hate speech and xenophobic.
“It is unacceptable for Republican Sid Miller to be promoting such disgusting rhetoric. Sadly, this kind of racist, xenophobic hate speech qualifies you for higher office with Republicans’ Tea Party fringe base,” Manny Garcia, the deputy executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said in a statement.
In June, Miller, a former state representative and rodeo calf-roper, lifted a decade-old statewide ban on deep fryers and soda machines in Texas public schools.