A former aide to President Barack Obama said he hoped to see a particular picture next to the obituaries for Vice President Mike Pence, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Ben Rhodes, a former Obama foreign policy adviser, posted the tasteless tweet early Thursday morning, after another Obama alumnus said he hoped to see President Donald Trump indicted.
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It all started just after midnight Wednesday, in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Former Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer posted a picture of the three men in the Oval Office with Trump. All four men are giving the “thumbs up” signal.
“I hope this is the photo they use on the front page of the Times on the day Trump is indicted,” tweeted Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to Obama, after midnight.
His former Obama co-worker shot back: “And alongside the obits for Ryan, McConnell and Pence.”
Twitter users reacted to Rhodes’ tweet, saying it was bad taste to make such a remark about one’s political enemies. Rhodes isn’t just a former Obama adviser — he was appointed in the last days of Obama’s second term to be on the board of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), who was shot by crazed left-wing activist and gunman James Hodgkinson on June 14, scolded Rhodes.
“You may want to reconsider your rhetoric,” Scalise replied on Twitter.
“Really? Obits? Irresponsible and dangerous tweet. Hope you see fit to delete this.”
Scalise spent more than three months in the hospital and in recovery. He did not return to the House until late September.
Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong also rebuked Rhodes.
“Really? Obits? Irresponsible and dangerous tweet. Hope you see fit to delete this,” Strong tweeted at 12:52 a.m. Thursday.
Rhodes had not deleted the tweet as of late Thursday.
PoliZette White House writer Jim Stinson can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter.
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