Illinois Democratic State Senator Martin Sandoval apologized after photos emerged of donors staging a mock assassination of President Donald Trump.
The incident took place at Sandoval’s golf outing in Winfield, IL.
The photos show a man in a Mexican costume pointing a fake gun at another man in a Trump mask.
From WCIA:
Sandoval, a powerful state lawmaker who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee and was a driving force behind the recent gas tax increase to fund the ‘Rebuild Illinois’ capital plan, issued an apology in an emailed statement.“The incident that took place is unacceptable,” he said. “I don’t condone violence toward the President or anyone else. I apologize that something like this happened at my event.”
Other photos show Sandoval with the man who held the fake gun, but we do not know if he knew about the mock assassination.
Republicans and Democrats in Illinois criticized the incident:
“As our nation grapples with the epidemic of gun violence, purposely pointing a fake gun at anyone is insensitive and wrong,” [Illinois Democratic Governor J.B.] Pritzker said Saturday night. “I condemn actions like the ones displayed in the pictures because they lack the civility our politics demands.”“The tragedies in El Paso and Gilroy have demonstrated how hate-filled political rhetoric can fuel violence,” Maura Possley, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Illinois, said. “These images are unacceptable and dangerous. The place to make our voices heard against Trump is at the ballot box.”
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said the apology came a “too little, too late.” He called on Sandoval to fire the person in the photo immediately if he works as a staffer or volunteer for the senator.
Sandoval has a lot of power in the Illinois legislature. He represents the 11th District, which includes areas of Chicago. He is also the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, which helped push through the massive gas tax increase in the state.
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