Delegate Michael Folk
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Delegate Mike Folk, R-Berkeley, said he did not anticipate the attention a statement he tweeted Friday afternoon saying that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton should be publicly hanged would receive, but it has exploded on social media since it was posted.
The tweet, which Folk said was spurred by a video about the way Clinton handled classified information on a private email server, read that Clinton should be “tried for treason, murder, and crimes against the US Constitution then hung on the Mall in Washington, DC.”
Countless Twitter users erupted with criticism toward the tweet and Folk, and a few users also gained the attention of Folk’s employer-United Airlines.
Folk said although the statement could have been worded differently, he stands behind the tweet amid public outcry.
“It seems to me that we have a lot of oligarchs in this country, and if things aren’t taken under control pretty soon, it will turn into a dust storm,” Folk said. “Obviously, I struck a nerve, and there’s a little bit of hyperbole, but when people are exempt from the rule of law because of who they are, we have a major problem. People have to start standing up for what’s right. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican thing, and I have been critical of both parties. We just need to get a conversation started because this country is headed in a bad direction.”
The Twitter account of United Airlines responded to a couple tweets raising concern about Folk and his employment with the agency, thanking the users for bringing the issue to their attention and saying, “we will be following up with the appropriate internal teams, “we’ll be investigating into this further” and “We are appalled by comments advocating harm. They do not represent United & we are looking into the matter further.”
As of Saturday afternoon, Folk said he has not heard anything from his employer, and he was unaware of the tweets.
As far as the reproach Folk has received for the tweet, he said he felt that people were taking it too far.
“Most of those (responses) are hyperbolic, too. I have had people share it and defend me on Facebook, though,” Folk said. “Obviously, we have the First Amendment in the United States, and a lot of the stuff said (about me) was untrue. People were saying I should be investigated-it’s almost laughable.”
The West Virginia Democratic Party also issued a press release Saturday morning condemning the tweet.
“Not only are Delegate Folk’s words concerning, they are disturbing. The mention of hanging and implication of murder should never, ever be acceptable. To think that a person in a leadership position in our state can say these types of things is baffling and should not be tolerated,” said Belinda Biafore, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party. “Folk’s actions should deem him as unfit to serve and Speaker Tim Armstead should take action if Folk doesn’t resign. It makes me very worrisome for the people of West Virginia that someone who can feel this type of hate and use this type of rhetoric is in any position of power.”
Although Folk defended the tweet, he did say he regrets the way it was worded.
“I’ve never been one to mince words, but the regret that I have is that I should have gotten some of the technicalities better. There are only so many characters you can use on Twitter,” Folk said. “It is what it is. Some people are easily offended, but I have pretty thick skin.”
Folk said the video that caused him to write the tweet, which he posted to Facebook just minutes earlier, shocked him.
“A couple things led up to the crescendo of that tweet. I was shocked at what (Charles McCullough, inspector general for the governmental intelligence community) said. Some of the (Clinton) emails were so highly secured that not even the inspector general was able to see them. If that’s not an indictment of Hillary’s malfeasance, I don’t know what is,” Folk said. “The average person out there, they would be in jail for life for this, so I have serious issues with people being treated differently under the law. That’s what it comes down to. When are people going to wake up as local citizens, state citizens and as a country? There shouldn’t be two sets of rules for oligarchs and average people. We are running down a bad road when there are different sets of rules.”
Staff writer Emily Daniels can be reached at 304-263-8931, ext. 132, or www.twitter.com/emilykdaniels.