Black Republicans seem to be having their moment in the sun.
We told you about how Omarosa and the CBC aren't quite seeing eye-to-eye, shared the story of Trump superfan Michael the Black Man and now we'd like to walk you through the passion of Wayne Bradley.
Bradley is an employee of the Republican Party. He serves as the organization's director of African American engagement for Michigan.
However, if certain members of his party have their way, he won't hold that role for much longer.
According to The Detroit News, Bradley is facing criticism to posts he has made on Facebook that question Donald Trump's handling of Charlottesville as well as his first presidential pardon.
As you may know, the president pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio last week. Before the pardon, Arpaio was facing charges related to his refusal to comply with a court order that demanded he stop using his law enforcement powers to harass immigrants.
“Violating civil rights and ignoring the laws does not make anyone a hero,” Bradley wrote after the pardon. “A lot of people have lost [sight] of what being a Conservative is, this ain’t it.”
On the topic of Confederate States of America monuments, Bradley also broke ranks with the president. Donald Trump has called CSA statues "beautiful," and feels that they represent "the history and culture of our great country."
Bradley does not share these views, writing comments that call into question how monuments celebrating a foreign power hostile to our country can also celebrate "our great country."
According to Bradley, Confederate States of America monuments are nothing more than "participation trophies" that "celebrate losers." He feels they should be removed, and called out his fellow Republicans who say otherwise. “You can’t claim to be from the party of Lincoln and defend the Confederacy,” he wrote.
The monuments aren't the only social issue Bradley has taken a stance on. The Republican official has also defended former NFL player Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem protests, and has said that he feels a Detroit landmark named after a mayor known for fomenting racial discord ought to be changed.
Although Bradley has yet to call out Donald Trump by name in his posts, this hasn't proved to be enough for his critics.
GOP activist Brian Pannebecker of Macomb County had a few choice words about Bradley.
“If he continues to hold positions that I think are at odds with the president, who’s the leader of our party … I don’t think he’s the right person to carry our views – the party’s views – into the black community and engage those folks,” Pannebecker told The Detroit News.
Pannebecker who claimed to be a friend of Bradley's stated that he, as an official, should not concern himself with trying to "change" the Republican party, but growing it.
He referred to Bradley's posts as "inappropriate," and felt it was especially out of line for him to publicly condemn the pardoning of Arpaio. Pannebecker called Arpaio a “law enforcement agent who spent his entire time in law enforcement serving his country and trying to protect Americans.”
Antrim County Republican Party chairman “Trucker” Randy Bishop also had harsh words for Bradley. “You work for and get paid by the Michigan Republican Party,” Bishop wrote on Facebook, “And President Donald J. Trump is the CEO of the ENTIRE Republican Party … Get behind our President, or resign, … now!!!”
Another official in the Michigan Republican Party was quick to distance Bradley's statements from the party itself.
“Wayne’s social media posts are his own,” said spokeswoman Sarah Anderson. “He is not speaking on behalf of the party.”
Bradley, for his part, is not taking this criticism sitting down. “So now supporting Sheriff Joe, Confederate monuments, condemning Colin Kaepernick for his freedom of speech, all while supporting the ‘free speech’ of the Tiki Torch crew are hallmarks of conservatism?” he wrote. “Y’all ain’t conservative at all.”
