A public petition is calling for the resignation of a Pennsylvania mayor for posting comments that appeared to be supporting violence against former President Donald Trump shortly after the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
According to The New York Post, Bernville Mayor Shawn Raup-Konsavage posted “Try harder” and “#PennsylvaniaProud” with a celebratory background on Facebook after the attempted assassination of Trump at Saturday’s campaign rally that resulted in the president and two other victims being injured and the death of a retired fire chief.
Penn Live Patriot-News reported that Raup-Konsavage is a Democrat. The New York Post also reported that he previously endorsed Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s campaign for president.
The New York Post reported that after social media users confronted the Pennsylvania mayor on his social media post, Raup-Konsavage shared a defiant statement doubling down on his original post.
“I didn’t take it down… and I have zero intentions of resigning,” Raup-Konsavage wrote. “Better yet, there isn’t even a way for you to have me removed from office.”
Libs of TikTok shared pictures of the Pennsylvania mayor and his social media comments in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
In light of Raup-Konsavage’s controversial social media post in the wake of the assassination attempt against the former president, an online petition was started to demand the mayor step down from his position. As of Thursday afternoon, the petition had gathered over 4,000 signatures.
“We believe in a safe and respectful political ecosystem, where the voice of every citizen in Bernville, Pennsylvania is heard, valued, and respected,” the petition states. “This peaceful ecosystem is currently threatened by the appalling views and behaviours exhibited by the current Mayor, Shawn A Raup-Konsavage.”
READ MORE: Video: Trump shooter’s parents called cops before assassination attempt: Report
The petition claims that the mayor’s comments were “absolutely unacceptable,” that his statement was an “implicit encouragement for political violence,” and that his recent behavior “is clearly not representative of the views of the community.”
The mayor’s recent post about Trump is not the first time Raup-Konsavage has shared controversial statements on social media. After the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, Raup-Konsavage tweeted a statement identifying himself as an “openly gay man” and celebrating the “less than peaceful” riots of 1969.
“Thankfully, some brave souls, before I was even born, had the courage to get pissed off enough to say NO MORE!” the mayor added at the time. “Today I hope is yours.”
