Silence from leadership of North Carolina’s Democrats was broken Monday evening by the state party chairwoman’s statement on a lawmaker who promoted a sign reflecting pursuit of the decapitation of President Donald Trump.
Anderson Clayton, chairwoman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, drew comparisons to Republican candidates in 2024 and their comments. She labeled the outrage manufactured, said it was hollow against the backdrop of what happened in Minnesota on the same day, and said it was an attempt to change the narrative of No Kings protests.
It was, in fact, a No Kings protest in Raleigh where Rep. Julie von Haefen, D-Wake, got the image to share with her followers that started a discussion that has drawn in members of Congress on both sides of the country.
In the final hours of Monday evening, Clayton said, “The NCGOP spent the last year bankrolling the campaigns of Mark Robinson and Michele Morrow after they both repeatedly called for political violence. Morrow wanted to execute everyone from Barack Obama to our Governor Roy Cooper. On the campaign trail, Robinson loudly declared that ‘some folks need killing’ and mocked Paul Pelosi on social media after someone tried to assassinate him. This manufactured outrage over a photo in a reel to take advantage of the recent tragedy in Minnesota rings incredibly hollow and is a desperate attempt to change the narrative after tens of thousands of North Carolinians who took to the streets this weekend to denounce their agenda.”
Von Haefen on Saturday made a social media post and affirmed she in fact did produce it via another post on Sunday. The first post on Saturday morning was an image of a woman holding signage with the image of a bloody, used guillotine; the words “In these difficult times, some cuts may be necessary”; and a prop on one end of the handle representing a beheaded Trump. The other end also had a head, a German Nazi Party swastika scrawled across the forehead.
Later Saturday, the nation learned of the shootings in Minnesota that claimed the lives of a Democratic member of the House of Representatives and her husband, and injured a state senator and his wife.
Minutes after The Center Square on Sunday sought authentication from her office, von Haefen posted to Facebook, “Yesterday, I posted a video on social media containing crowd photos from the No Kings protest in Raleigh. One of the images of a protestor holding a sign was inappropriate, and I later edited the video to remove the photo.
“Let me be clear: I condemn political violence in all forms. 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.”
Von Haefen did not offer an apology. She terminated her X account.
Her caption on Saturday morning said, “No Kings Protest in Raleigh. Amazing turnout all across the Triangle today, including this event at the Capitol hosted by Wake Democrats and North Carolina Democrats.” There were hashtags for an expletive, no kings and Raleigh.
Context helps on the No Kings protests. There were more than 1,700 scheduled across the country, including 27 in the Tarheel State. Democrats flooded them and have rallied on the branding of Trump as authoritarian and kingly. He’s renowned for bold posturing, creative deal-making, and enforcement of federal law.
Republicans counter that the previous four years of the White House, and the governorship in North Carolina, are examples of authoritarian leadership. For example, nationwide Democrats held primaries then sent forward a presidential ticket requiring not a single primary vote; and the cognitive skills and if in fact President Joe Biden led the White House has been questioned even by journalists once thought left-leaning.
And on the state level, the primary example is former Gov. Roy Cooper’s 362 executive orders over eight years that included closures of churches, schools and businesses; mandates for everyone to stay home during COVID-19; and the resulting loss of jobs, businesses and setbacks in educational growth by children.
