Social media users responded with disgust to a video of a Republican supporter who was caught on video using a racial slur to celebrate a Democrat losing reelection.
The person in the video has not yet been identified but they can be heard referring to Vishnu Patel, soon to be the former Democratic councilman of Yorktown, New York, as a "motherf*cker" and "sand n*gger."
You can hear their comments in the video below.
WARNING: NSFW language and slurs
The content of the video, first reported on by TAP Into Yorktown, was promptly deleted after drawing the attention of Kevin Byrnes, the chair of the Yorktown Republican Town Committee.
Byrnes, speaking on behalf of the Yorktown Republican Town Committee, called on the unidentified person to apologize and issued a harsh condemnation of their rhetoric:
"The Yorktown Republican Town Committee condemns these comments in the strongest possible terms, and will conduct an immediate investigation to ascertain the identity of the individual."
"If the person is determined to be a member of the Yorktown Republican Town Committee who uttered these disgusting comments, disciplinary action will commence."
Patel also commented on the video, saying that it presents further evidence of inflammatory and racist rhetoric propagated by former President Donald Trump, whose ascension to the executive office was aided by white resentment and outgroup hostility:
"It is not surprising that one individual at a Republican gathering should shout out a vile obscene remark about my nationality."
"Donald Trump's behavior as president gave permission for the worst elements in the Republican Party to say and do things openly that they would never have dared to in the past."
"I nonetheless remain hopeful that a new generation of Yorktown Republicans will appeal to the best instincts of people and not the worst."
Others concurred, emphasizing that the speaker's comments place a harsher spotlight on behavior that is largely seen as quintessential to the Republican Party.
Wow. This shit makes my stomach turn. For the record, I would rather be called ANYTHING than a Republican. Racist Ignorant Traitor is what immediately comes to mind. And people CHOOSE to be that way. A person wearing a MAGA may be part of violent crime syndicate. Think about it. https://t.co/ExMxw5eheA
— Michele Haley (@Michele72104860) November 8, 2021
It needs to be made CRYSTAL FREAKING CLEAR in every single somewhat competitive election campaign from Senator to School Board
Make them own it
— 🌎RevolvesAroundSun (@NCPernicus) November 8, 2021
I'd hate to hear what they're saying about their new Mayor https://t.co/5wIdv29wjy
— Susan Krubl (@susan_krubl) November 8, 2021
The GOP is nothing more than a bunch of racists pretending they're Americans. https://t.co/Bgac4okNHm
— Abintra🌎🌍🌏🎃🎃 (@abintra) November 8, 2021
They keep telling us who they are😞
“That motherf*cker, that f*cking sand n*gger." https://t.co/yqM8fsnXVq
— SayYourPiece (@Vlgarza2u) November 8, 2021
NO GOOD CONSERVATIVES https://t.co/rYEBdT83kJ
— Conservatives are Vile (@vilecinservtv) November 8, 2021
They were never good at hiding it. It's what appealed to MAGAts. https://t.co/6vimo4ylnH
— D Villella ❄️ (@dvillella) November 8, 2021
"Vishnu's gone -- gone, gone," the person can be heard saying in the since-deleted video that was posted on the Yorktown Republican Party's Facebook page. "That motherf*cker, that f*cking sand n*gger."
It has devolved from 'welfare queen' to this. https://t.co/0V1E0RWlJs
— Resist hateful GOP policies (@hateGOP) November 8, 2021
Jesus fugking Christ, I am so old, I still remember, when Republicans were the Party of Lincoln and passed the Civil Rights Act & the Voting Rights Act. https://t.co/5fSpy2lKoS pic.twitter.com/ClVOYjXqyd
— Florida Freethinker ! (@EdTruman3) November 8, 2021
Byrnes, the Yorktown Republican Town Committee chair, would disagree, telling news outlets that the person's comments "do not reflect the values of the Yorktown Republican Town Committee."
Yorktown Demoratic Co-Chairs Marni Rabin-Marron and Mark Lieberman have called for the person to issue a public apology. An investigation into the incident is underway.
