Lauren Witzke, a former GOP senatorial candidate in Delaware, has targeted “third world” refugees, Muslims and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author in her tweets following her loss in the election.
Twitter tirade: The former GOP senatorial candidate took to Twitter to attack author Viet Thanh Nguyen after her loss to Democratic Senator Chris Coons during the Senate election in Delaware on Tuesday.
- Witzke began her attack after Nguyen tagged her in a tweet showing Coons receiving a total vote count of 290,996 (59.5%), while the Republican candidate received 185,442 (37.9%).
Remember me @LaurenWitzkeDE? A “third world” refugee who can’t believe you’re still peddling this racist white supremacist garbage. At least you won’t be doing it as a Senator. https://t.co/24hxI0Fq0o pic.twitter.com/7832breOhT
— viet thanh nguyen (@viet_t_nguyen) November 5, 2020
- Nguyen also added a link to Witzke’s previous tweet where she urged for Western Europe to begin the mass deportation of Muslims in the region.
America saved Europe once, owing to our special relationship with the UK and France.
We need to do it again.
It is time for mass Muslim deportations from Western Europe.
— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) October 29, 2020
- “It would be a shame if President Trump revoked your refugee status and sent you back to the third world where you belong,” Witzke said in her response to Nguyen.
It would be a shame if President Trump revoked your refugee status and sent you back to the third world where you belong. https://t.co/39fU0nEoTW
— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) November 5, 2020
- “Now @LaurenWitzkeDE says out loud what Trump and Miller want to do beneath the veneer of ‘we just want legal migrants.’ It’s always been about the white supremacy,” Nguyen replied.
Now @LaurenWitzkeDE says out loud what Trump and Miller want to do beneath the veneer of “we just want legal migrants.” It’s always been about the white supremacy. https://t.co/3ahyBZlRyF
— viet thanh nguyen (@viet_t_nguyen) November 5, 2020
- Witzke assumed Nguyen was not a legal voter in her follow-up response, and doubled down on her remarks, calling him an “ungrateful refugee.”
You’re awfully opinionated for someone who isn’t even allowed to vote, but I’m glad to see you’re enjoying our First Amendment.
Question: Do they offer affirmative action in the third world too? Or is that only something ungrateful refugees qualify for in America?
— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) November 5, 2020
- Nguyen did not back down and told Witzke he, too, enjoys their rights to express opinions.
.@LaurenWitzkeDE, you’ll have to report me for voting, because I voted. And yes, I’m very opinionated, and I enjoy “our” rights. https://t.co/9xdKe8l6Vk
— viet thanh nguyen (@viet_t_nguyen) November 5, 2020
- The former GOP candidate then included the Democratic Party into their conversation and accused them of voter fraud.
Hey @TheDemocrats. Your voter fraud scam is telling on itself. https://t.co/MZSO4CYXSq
— Lauren Witzke (@LaurenWitzkeDE) November 6, 2020
The aftermath: Nguyen took to his Facebook on Wednesday to share screenshots of the exchange.
- “I don’t play the grateful refugee,” Nguyen said in his post. “That’s just a way of being silenced and being patted on the head. We can be grateful for the opportunities we’ve gotten in this country while recognizing its racist and white supremacist origins and reality.”
- “This racism sometimes benefits those of us who are Vietnamese or Asian or refugees or immigrants, and this racism sometimes targets us. That’s how racism works. It makes you afraid to be the target so you shut up and hope you just reap some of the benefits. That’s what people like Lauren Witzke want. Compliant minorities who know their place.”
- Witzke later blocked Nguyen on Twitter on Thursday night.
Featured Image Screenshots via Late Night with Seth Meyers (left), One America News Network (right)