In a series of tweets, the Republican Party of Virginia attacked Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam on Wednesday for calling for the removal of Confederate statues.
The Washington Post quotes John Findlay, executive director of the Virginia GOP as saying: “We said that Ralph Northam is turning his back on his heritage and family. It is because his great-grandfather fought for the side of the Confederacy and was wounded during the Civil War… When he wants to tear down monuments dedicated to those killed in action and wounded during the war, he is literally talking about a member of his own family.”
The party’s account deleted the tweets and issued an apology:
Our previous tweets were interpreted in a way we never intended. We apologize and reiterate our denunciation of racism in all forms.
— Virginia GOP (RPV) (@VA_GOP) August 23, 2017
Update: David Abrams, spokesman for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie sends this statement: “The RPV was right to apologize for the tweet and to take it down. Though Ed disagrees with the Lieutenant Governor on the issue of statues, he knows we can disagree on issues like this without devolving into divisive rhetoric.”
