Ogles expresses regret over post saying homosexuality doesn’t belong in the US
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) apologized after saying a staff member managed an official post on his social media account during LGBT Pride month that declared, “Homosexuality has no place in America.” Ogles said the message was “stupid, hurtful,” and a distraction from his “America First” agenda, and he reported that the employee involved was reprimanded.
The post drew backlash from fellow lawmakers, with Rep. Mike Lawler calling it “an absolutely idiotic statement,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticizing Ogles for divisive rhetoric rather than addressing issues voters care about. Ogles deleted the post, though it had already circulated.
The incident stands out because Ogles is already known for pushing anti-LGBT initiatives and for previously making inflammatory statements online, and he is now seeking reelection while facing a better-funded primary challenger.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) apologized for a post he said his staff made from his official social media account that said: “Homosexuality has no place in America.”
“Earlier today while working on the farm, my phone began going crazy because of a post made by a member of my comms team,” Ogles wrote on X on Tuesday evening. “The post was stupid, hurtful and a complete distraction from my America First focus. The employee has been reprimanded.”
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Ogles, a MAGA-hardliner from a deep-red district outside of Nashville, has pushed for several initiatives rolling back LGBT-friendly policies, including backing legislation that would strip federal funding from transgender surgeries. He is also known for previously posting, “Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie.”
But his Tuesday afternoon post, made during the first week of LGBT Pride month, came as a surprise to many lawmakers who saw the rhetoric as going too far.
“Homosexuality has no place in America,” the now-deleted post on Ogles’s X account read. “Happy Nuclear Family Month.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) pushed back against the post, calling it “an absolutely idiotic statement.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also slammed Ogles after the post.
“He’s someone who continues to make clear that Republicans have zero interest in actually doing anything about any of the issues that the American people care about in terms of the economy, and he’d rather spend time trying to divide us, say outrageous things to appeal to his MAGA base,” Jeffries told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday.
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Ogles deleted the post on Tuesday.
The second-term congressman is running for reelection this year and faces a primary opponent, former Tennessee agriculture chief Charlie Hatcher, who has out-fundraised him so far. But Trump-backed Ogles has lost fundraising battles in prior elections as he sailed to victory at the polls, winning the Republican primary by over 10 points both times.
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