On Saturday, April 3, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, wrote an incredibly racist and transphobic tweet making fun of companies for standing up to anti-Asian hatred, transphobia and Georgia's voter discrimination.
Huckabee—a minister and father of former White House Press Secretary and current Arkansas gubernatorial GOP candidate Sarah Huckabee Sanders—tweeted:
"I've decided to 'identify' as Chinese."
"Coke will like me, Delta will agree with my 'values' and I'll probably get shoes from Nike & tickets to @MLB games."
"Ain't America great?"
I’ve decided to “identify” as Chinese. Coke will like me, Delta will agree with my “values” and I’ll probably get s… https://t.co/zb6Dv8rObS— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@Gov. Mike Huckabee) 1617459539.0
Even Huckabee's friends and supporters, like religious figure Beth Moore, felt his bigotry laden tweet went too far.
Moore described it as "entirely antithetical to the Gospel."
@GovMikeHuckabee @MLB Mike, I’ve shared a meal with you at your beautiful table. I’ve heard you profess Christ as L… https://t.co/xE7g0uwVUm— Beth Moore (@Beth Moore) 1617495014.0
Hi @BethMooreLPM I love you & appreciate your ministry. I don’t take Twitter or myself that seriously but I do take… https://t.co/vb9NUANGnV— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@Gov. Mike Huckabee) 1617501781.0
Mike Huckabee makes fun of Asians, activist athletes and trans people in one tweet. Gets called out by a well know… https://t.co/EXX8I8tLX0— Nato Poppins (@Nato Poppins) 1617553244.0
Twitter was disgusted by Huckabee's refusal to back down from his hateful message.
@GovMikeHuckabee @MLB What in the openly racist hell?— New Georgia Project (@New Georgia Project) 1617484624.0
Asian and trans people are facing increased hate this year, so the Republican politician turned pundit decided to m… https://t.co/AaYgMa3dD8— LGBTQ Nation (@LGBTQ Nation) 1617631741.0
@NickCho I reported Huckabee’s tweet as harmful and you should too!— ProfBlahson says BLM and Trans Rights (@ProfBlahson says BLM and Trans Rights) 1617505448.0
How to racist and anti-trans at the same time, courtesy of Professor Mike “Chuckles” Huckabee https://t.co/mJioRsNDHA— Jeff Yang (@Jeff Yang) 1617505649.0
@jeremynewberger @GovMikeHuckabee @MLB Hateful, racist rhetoric matters, @GovMikeHuckabee @AsianLivesMttr https://t.co/rPaKZEls1I— anti-seditionist (@anti-seditionist) 1617489921.0
Many found it hard to believe any politician, following the recent increased acts of violence against Asians and transgender people, would feel this tweet was appropriate.
@GovMikeHuckabee @MLB Wow is this appalling. Six Asian American women were massacred on March 16. Last weekend, an… https://t.co/YOjMUa4co7— Victoria Brownworth (@Victoria Brownworth) 1617487260.0
@NewGAProject I just reported Huckabee’s tweet as hate speech to Twitter— Laureen Lazarovici (@Laureen Lazarovici) 1617487016.0
@GovMikeHuckabee @MLB This is disgraceful.— Frank Figliuzzi (@Frank Figliuzzi) 1617491942.0
Not only was Huckabee's joke shamelessly insensitive...it was also painfully unfunny.
@GovMikeHuckabee @MLB I think you could put this “comedian” on stage in a room filled with like-minded people and h… https://t.co/sI20jBp88a— Brent Spiner (@Brent Spiner) 1617567567.0
This is a really bad person. https://t.co/kGmtgunh1m— W. Kamau Bell (@W. Kamau Bell) 1617548201.0
On Easter Sunday, perhaps we should reflect on the TOXIC CHRISTIANITY that has infected the Church. Exhibit A: Past… https://t.co/HyhqaTn7hQ— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@Duty To Warn 🔉) 1617544573.0
Many conservative Christians, reading the tweet, felt it went against the teachings of their faith.
This is a very lame take, governor. Have some dignity. Consider deleting. https://t.co/3kPdpHR4UM— Michael McFaul (@Michael McFaul) 1617514441.0
I’ve decided to identify as Mike Huckabee, because I am also a huge idiot who has no skills with interacting with m… https://t.co/qnHPX45NrL— Asawin Suebsaeng (@Asawin Suebsaeng) 1617503878.0
Mike Huckabee, once a governor, now spends his time writing bigoted tweets and defending them to even his fellow Evangelical Christians.
What a sad state of affairs.