By Lauren Fox and Morgan Leason, CNN
(CNN) — Republican lawmakers blasted a homophobic post that appeared on GOP Rep. Andy Ogles’ X account on Tuesday, saying it was “gross,” “disgusting,” a distraction and had no place in their party.
Ogles has said that a staffer was to blame for posting on his X account, “Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month” — a post that has since been deleted.
“Gross, disgusting tweet, inappropriate. All Americans, regardless of their sexual orientation, should enjoy the protections of America, our Constitution, and all of our blessings,” Rep. Nick LaLota of New York told CNN when asked about the post.
LaLota argued the post also sent the wrong message about the party’s focus ahead of the midterms but that he personally saw it as a prime opportunity to make clear to his constituents that he’s not on the fringe of the GOP.
“There’s some wacky people on both sides of the aisle, on both extremes, and politically it provides me an opportunity to contrast myself with some of that wackiness,” he said.
Ogles said on X later in the day Tuesday, “Earlier today while working on the farm, my phone began going crazy because of a post made by a member of my comms team. The post was stupid, hurtful and a complete distraction from my America First focus. The employee has been reprimanded.”
CNN has reached out to Ogles’ office to request comment on the criticism the post has received.
Rep. Mike Lawler, another Republican running in a swing district, told CNN he actually texted with Ogles after the event and was told it was a staffer, but encouraged Ogles to “do better.”
“I’m not going to dispute his statement, but the fact is that tweet was offensive. I know it was offensive to many colleagues and staff members here, and you know it was pretty clear that it was f**ing stupid so,” Lawler said.
Lawler continued “everybody has family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, staff that are in fact homosexual, and to somehow insinuate that they are less than or not Americans, or should not be Americans, is idiotic and offensive. And I was clear about that yesterday. I’m glad he deleted the post, but do better.”
Conservative Rep. Tim Burchett, who also is from Tennessee, told CNN that he too was disappointed by the post.
“I thought it was wrong. You know what people do in their own dadgum bedrooms, is their business,” Burchett said.
Speaker Mike Johnson also addressed the now-deleted X post during a press conference on Wednesday, saying it was “right” to take it down.
“The Bible is unequivocal, We’re supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves. Everybody is supposed to treat every single person with dignity and respect whether we agree with them or not. That’s a Christian virtue, that’s a biblical virtue, it’s an American virtue. It’s part of we are,” Johnson said. “Andy took it down and did it publicly. He should have done that. It was the right response.”
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN’s Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.
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