Biden official says old social media posts don’t show current beliefs.
White House Official Downplays Controversial Social Media Posts
A White House official who stoked controversy with social media posts attacking the police, supporting the anti-Israel movement, and promoting “Russiagate,” is now downplaying these posts, saying that they were written when he was younger and do not reflect his current views.
Tyler Cherry, who was recently promoted as an associate communications director at the White House, previously worked for more than three years at the Department of Interior under Secretary Deb Haaland. However, his promotion brought renewed attention to some of his past incendiary posts.
One particular tweet from 2015 had Cherry stating that he was “praying even harder for an end to a capitalistic police state motivated by explicit and implicit racial biases” during the riots following the police custody death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore.
Cherry also made a post a few months later, where he claimed that modern-day policing was a “direct evolution of slave patrols and lynch mobs.”
Furthermore, Cherry has been vocal about his support for Palestinians against Israel, with one post from July 2014 expressing his solidarity with the people of Palestine and calling for an end to the occupation.
In addition to his views on policing and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Cherry has targeted Republicans, accusing them of focusing too much on “white grievance politics” and even calling for the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Despite the backlash, Cherry took to social media to defend himself, stating, “Past social media posts from when I was younger do not reflect my current views. Period.” He emphasized his support for the Biden administration’s agenda, particularly focusing on climate and environmental policies.
However, the Biden administration has faced criticism from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party for reaffirming its support for Israel amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas. The recent violence escalated when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in numerous casualties and hostages.
Amidst the conflict, tensions have increased between the Biden administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the White House becoming more vocal in its criticism of his leadership as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise.
As Tyler Cherry navigates the fallout from his controversial social media posts, the spotlight remains on the White House’s stance on various issues, including policing, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and climate policies. Only time will tell how Cherry’s past comments will impact his role as an associate communications director in the Biden administration.
