Every now and again in the process of trawling the internet I run across something which causes my hair to stand on end. This is that moment. What you’re about to read is a Facebook posting by one Carl Paladino, who is running for congress in the newly created NY-23 district. He has the blessing of Elise Stefanik and is seeking the blessing of Donald Trump, according to the Buffalo News.
The Facebook posting posits the theory that both the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings were false flag operations and the CIA is involved. The post came under immediate criticism. Paladino denied he wrote it and took it down, plus canceled his Facebook account.
The June 1 post on Paladino’s account, which was first reported by the website Media Matters, appeared to be a repost of comments attributed to someone named Jeff Briggs, who shared a number of conspiracy theories he believed were tied to gun control, including questions about the racially motivated mass shooting at Tops on Jefferson Ave. in Buffalo.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to right now,” Paladino said when reached by News 4. “Somebody’s been able to post stuff at my Facebook, so we just terminated Facebook.”
Paladino said he does not manage his page, but posts are only shared when he directs them to be.
“I don’t post. I don’t even know how to get on Facebook. My assistant does our posting only when I told her to post things,” Paladino said.
Interesting how Paladino is going into a see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkey mode, isn’t it.
Here’s the offending post.
Carl Paladino, whose new House campaign has the support of Elise Stefanik, shared a FB post claiming the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde were false flags and “the Texas shooter was receiving hypnosis training” apparently under the CIA's direction. https://t.co/T5Ac3MCNwB pic.twitter.com/ZTQ9ee32FR
— Eric Hananoki (@ehananoki) June 7, 2022
Now you’ve read the (now deleted) post and its source.
Paladino has filed his statement of candidacy and there’s a primary election August 23. This is not an asset going into the primary, I believe it is safe to say. This is bat guano on steroids.
This is nothing new for Paladino, however. He likes sending racist, sexist emails.
A Tea Party darling, Paladino reportedly sent an e-mail depicting a horse having sex with a woman and another that included a pornographic video and the headline “Miss France 2008 F[***]ing.” He also reportedly sent out an e-mail depicting President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as a pimp and prostitute and one showing an airplane landing near black men with the caption “Holy Sh*t. run ni**ers, run!”
It’s amazing. The GOP of this day and age is a magnet for these characters. The worst dregs of society are clasping onto the GOP label like iron filings.
Paladino is the guy who was forced off a school board for being a racist.