After posting an image of a racist ideology on social media this week, a Republican lawmaker in Michigan has lost his committee assignment and staff.
Representative Josh Schriver, who is white, recently posted “The great replacement!” along with a map of the world with Black figures outnumbering white figures on X, according to The Associated Press.
The conspiracy theory contends that there’s a plot to diminish the influence of white people.
Democrat House Speaker Joe Tate says he won’t allow the House to become a forum for “racist, hateful, and bigoted speech.”
While Schriver, who represents Oakland and Macomb counties, can vote on the House floor, The Associated Press reports that “Tate removed him from a committee and instructed the House Business Office to oversee his staff members.”
“Representative Schriver has a history of promoting debunked theories and dangerous rhetoric that jeopardizes the safety of Michigan residents and contributes to a hostile and uncomfortable environment for others,” Tate said.
Schriver defended his social media post last week.
“I’m opposed to racists, race baiters, and victim politics,” he told The Detroit News. “What I find strange is the agenda to demoralize and reduce the white portion of our population.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement condemning the post.
“We will never let those who stoke racial fears divide us,” she said.