Former Illinois Congressman turned conservative radio host Joe Walsh went on a twitter rant following the deadly sniper attack on Dallas police officers Thursday, including a now-deleted message that read: “This is now war. Watch out Obama.”
Walsh, a Republican who represented Illinois’ 8th district from 2011 to 2013 before becoming a syndicated radio host, delivered a series of tweets that criticized President Barack Obama and suggested that the president was a “cop hater” no different from “the thugs on the street.”
In another tweet, Walsh suggested that the president’s rhetoric about recent police shootings of unarmed African American men might have led to the sniper attack, which killed four Dallas officers and injured seven others and one civilian.
“Obama says Cops are racist so 2 uneducated black thugs shoot 10 Dallas Cops,” he wrote.
Walsh became a trending topic on Twitter Thursday night, with much of the focus on a tweet that he quickly deleted.
“3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded,” he wrote. “This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you.”
In a later tweet, Walsh tried to distance himself from his earlier, more provocative language.
“I wasn’t calling for violence, against Obama or anyone,” he wrote. “Obama’s words & BLM’s deeds have gotten cops killed. Time for us to defend our cops.”
Read the tweets below:
Joe Walsh deleted his tweet. Here's the screenshot: pic.twitter.com/t5ke5YWxbu
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 8, 2016
4 Dallas Cops assassinated tonight.
Blacks lives matter cheers.
LGBT blames Christians.
Obama defends Islam.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 8, 2016
Obama says Cops are racist so 2 uneducated black thugs shoot 10 Dallas Cops tonight, killing 4.
Wake up silent majority. Stand w our Cops.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 8, 2016
It's time 4 patriotic Americans to stand up & stand against all the Cop haters – from Obama to the thugs on the street.
It's way past time.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 8, 2016
I wasn't calling for violence, against Obama or anyone. Obama's words & BLM's deeds have gotten cops killed. Time for us to defend our cops.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) July 8, 2016