“Disgusting & Offensive” | Delaware GOP calls on Sen. Townsend to resign over KKK tweet

Delaware GOP Chairwoman Jane Brady is calling on State Senator Bryan Townsend to resign, calling his tweet likening Rush Limbaugh to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), “disgusting and offensive.”

“I was shocked and found the post disgusting and offensive,” Chairwoman Brady said in an interview with WGMD’s Rob Petree. “I believe that he should resign.”

Senator Townsend shared the illustration, or meme, Saturday evening on Twitter attacking Rush Limbaugh, who recently received a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer and was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the State of the Union Address.

“When our party had people who stepped over the line and were posting offensive and hurtful things, we did the right thing in the Republican Party and removed them from leadership,” Brady explained. “He’s clearly in a position of leadership in the Democratic Party and I think he should resign.”

Many took issue with the post where the Senator wrote “whoever finds him gets a medal.”

“This post is disrespectful and below you and other officials.,” one woman wrote in response to the Senator’s post. “There is no proof of your implied accusations. Even though I disagree with you I respect your human dignity. You should apologize since the post is not up to your standards as public officials.”

After he was called out on Twitter and other social media sites for his insensitive decision to share the meme, Senator Townsend appeared to double down and defend his actions instead of issuing an apology.

“Just because Rush has cancer does not somehow suddenly place him beyond criticism for the many hateful, horrible things he has said and says,” Senator Townsend wrote in response to criticism on Facebook.

Following calls for him to resign from the Delaware Republican Party, Senator Townsend spoke with the News Journal and yet again defended himself, saying “I’ll own that decision.” He then went on to wish Rush Limbaugh and his family well.

In response to Senator Townsend’s post and calls for his resignation, the Delaware Democratic Party told the News Journal that the offensive part of this story was that the President awarded Rush Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Senator Townsend has yet to apologize and did not directly address the calls for his resignation.

Brady said that if Townsend won’t resign voluntarily, then disciplinary action should be taken against him in the Senate.

“The Senate, if he doesn’t resign voluntarily, should look into bringing administrative disciplinary action against him because of his conduct,” Brady concluded.