Democrat Trying to Flip Pennsylvania Seat Apologizes for Pro-Police, Pro-Gun, Pro-God Posts
Democratic Pennsylvania congressional hopeful Bob Brooks,a burly firefighter and union leader,is in a swing-district race and drew sharp scrutiny from the Washington Post for past conservative posts on social media. The Post highlighted a meme linked to a 2019 mass shooting that carried a caption criticizing society’s “hearts without god” and showed Clint Eastwood with a rifle and a Three Percenters logo; Brooks apologized, saying he regrets the posts and was unaware of the logo. The article portrays Brooks as trying to win back white, non-college-educated voters and notes high-profile endorsements from Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Working Families Party,along with support from Bernie Sanders’s camp,though some endorsers reportedly knew about his old posts. It also covers a crowded Democratic primary set for May 19, 2026, in a district that flipped GOP control in 2024 and where Donald Trump won the district by more than three points over Kamala Harris in 2020, underscoring the district’s competitive nature. Brooks has posted content praising Biden and opposing Trump to bolster his liberal credentials while seeking the moderate swing-voter lane.
Democratic Pennsylvania congressional candidate Bob Brooks, who is running in a pivotal House district, got slammed by the Washington Post on Monday for statements he previously made on social media, culminating in an apology for expressing conservative views.
The article opened by stating that Brooks, 53, d a meme on the day after a mass shooter killed “nearly two dozen people at a Texas Walmart in 2019.”
The outlet complained about the tone of the post, which read, “The problem is not guns. It’s hearts without God, homes without discipline, schools without prayer, and courtrooms without justice.”
The meme reportedly had an image of famed conservative actor/director Clint Eastwood “holding a rifle and a skull superimposed with the roman numeral III.”
A Brooks spokesperson said the Democrat regrets the post and “wishes he never made it,” but had “zero awareness” of the “Three Percenters” logo on the meme.
The “burly, goatee-sporting firefighter and union leader … has cast himself as a Democrat who can win back white, non-college-educated voters who have fled the party” since President Donald Trump’s first victory back in 2016, the article explained.
It then attacked Brook’s “private page” for being too conservative, criticized him for mocking former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and dinged him for supporting police officers in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in 2020.
WaPo: Brooks’ posts also include one calling former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick a “douchebag” during his protests around police brutality and another post that defended police in the wake of widespread protests following George Floyd’s killing in 2020.
Bob Brooks is seeking… https://t.co/d27bimle3S pic.twitter.com/jfppiOiPrk
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) April 20, 2026
Brooks, who is running for a seat that flipped back to the GOP by only one percentage point in 2024, replied to questions about his past statements, saying, “A bunch of DC insiders who don’t want more working people in office are selectively digging up years-old posts.”
He did, however, apologize for some of them.
“I’ve d a few stupid things over the years, and for that I am sorry,” Brooks said in a statement. “I believe who I’ve fought for and my values have always been clear.”
The Washington Post also highlighted Brooks’ list of high-profile supporters that includes popular Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and the liberal Working Families Party.
People familiar with the endorsements said these figures knew about Brooks’ past posts before they supported him. They likely realized that the seat is in a swing district and requires a moderate candidate to win.
Manuel Bonder, a Shapiro spokesperson, doubled down on the governor’s support for Brooks when he was asked about his social media activity.
Representatives of the more liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who also endorsed Brooks, did not respond to requests for comment from the left-leaning newspaper.
Brooks’ campaign provided nearly three dozen other posts, including one that showed support for former President Joe Biden, along with other anti-Trump memes to prove his liberal bona fides.
He is facing a crowded field for the nomination that includes former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, former Northampton County executive Lamont McClure, and engineer Carol Obando-Derstine.
The Democratic primary for the seat will be held on May 19, as the party looks to knock off GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in furtherance of its quest to flip the lower chamber.
The swing district saw a photo finish in its congressional race in 2024, but Trump won it by over three points against former Vice President Kamala Harris.
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