A far-left Texas congressional candidate, who tweeted that former President Barack Obama “deserves” worse than cancer, is not backing down from his extreme tweets.
Justin Lecea, 34, is a self-styled “Bernie Democrat” and socialist who is running against Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro in Texas’s 20th Congressional District. Lecea was responding to a now-deleted tweet in which he wrote, “If god was just you [Obama] would get the most malignant cancer imaginable.”
People are criticizing me for wishing cancer on Obama. I say that having lost a parent to brain cancer after 12 years of fighting, and getting to see just how terrible our Healthcare system is, and I still think he deserves it or worse.
— Justin for Congress (@JustinTX_20) December 16, 2019
Lecea is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and the International Workers of the World.
He continued his verbal assault against Obama by saying that the former president is “a war criminal who was in authority during the desperation of over 3 million immigrants, continued the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, allowed the continued poisoning of citizens in places like Flint, and also recently bought an 11 million dollar home in Martha’s Vineyard, and demonstrated privilege so great that he gives zero f—s about y’all.
recently bought an 11 million dollar home in Martha’s Vinyard, and demonstrated privilege so great that he gives zero fucks about y’all.
Obama is part of the club that is going to let y’all burn in climate change.
So @ me all you want I said nothing directly threatening
— Justin for Congress (@JustinTX_20) December 16, 2019
On Monday, the Washington Examiner spoke with Lecea by phone. “I would propose a full constitutional convention that is ratified by direct democratic means and I would propose that all the major political party leaders that we have had over the past 20 years stand trial for all the things that they’ve done. Bush, Obama, Pelosi, Trump, all of them. I think they are all morally bankrupt and only work in the service of the corporate oligarchs in this country.”
Lecea confirmed that users on Twitter and Instagram had contacted his family and friends though he is not worried about the threats.
Twitter users responding to Lecea were not impressed with his loaded remarks.
“Not saying something directly threatening” is kind of a low bar when you’re wishing cancer on someone
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) December 16, 2019
How are you, if elected, going to work with ANYONE in Congress to accomplish ANY goal which requires compromise?
— Emily Johnson (@johnsonemilyp) December 16, 2019
Omg he bought a house… what a monster
— Dream Hoarder (@WokeDon) December 16, 2019
The Washington Examiner reached out for comment and will update accordingly.
