Texas Republicans call on county GOP chair to resign for saying Floyd’s death was staged

Texas GOP Chairman James Dickey is calling on a county GOP chairwoman to resign after she said that George Floyd’s death was staged.

“Cynthia Brehm’s position regarding the tragic injustice of the death of George Floyd has no place in the Republican Party of Texas,” Dickey said in a statement. “We can not abide by her caustic remarks. They are out of alignment with our core beliefs and our platform.

“I have personally reached out to Cynthia Brehm and called on her to resign her post as Chair of the Republican Party of Bexar County immediately,” he added. 

In a statement to the Texas Tribune, a spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Brehm’s comments were “disgusting and have no place in the Republican Party or in public discourse.” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) also called on her to resign, calling her comments “wrong, and only serve to divide us at a time when we all need to come together.”

Brehm suggested in a since-deleted Facebook post that the death of George Floyd was fabricated. Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer, who now faces murder charges, pinned him to the ground for more than eight minutes by putting his knee to the unarmed man’s neck. The killing has set off a wave of protests over the treatment of African Americans by police. 

Brehm wrote that the death was fabricated to create “racial tensions and drive a wedge in the growing group of anti deep state sentiment from common people, that have already been psychologically traumatized by Covid-19 fears.”

The Bexar County Republican Party chair has a new conspiracy theory. #satx #txelex pic.twitter.com/6T7GxT5DYG

— Gilbert Garcia (@gilgamesh470) June 3, 2020

Brehm said high-profile instances of police violence coincidentally align with elections, suggesting it’s a set up. 

“Historically, in election years and in politically contested areas or in groups, racial or gun violence incidents are becoming commonplace,” she wrote. “Considering the rising approval rating of President Trump in the black community, an event like this is unfortunately ‘Predictable.’”

The idea that Floyd’s death was staged is one of a few conspiracy theories that have circulated online.

Brehm also made headlines last month for claiming that the coronavirus pandemic — which has infected at least 67,354 Texans and killed 1,716 as of Thursday — was also fabricated by Democrats.

“[The pandemic] has been promulgated by the Democrats to undo all the good President Trump has done” Brehm said at a May political rally before she encouraged attendees to “take off your masks, exercise your constitutional rights. Stand up, speak up and vote Republican.”