A Republican lawmaker has come under fire after he mistook a plane full of student basketball players as "illegal invaders".
Michigan state Republican Rep. Matthew Maddock posted a picture on social media of buses at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, claiming the buses were transporting immigrants.
However, Wayne County Airport Authority, which operates the Airport, confirmed that the buses were transporting four men’s basketball teams competing in a competition in Detroit.
Fellow politicians have called the outspoken Donald Trump supporter's posts "dangerous."
Michigan lawmaker sparks outrage after mistaking student athletes for 'illegal invaders'
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In the post on social media, the 58-year-old wrote: "Happening right now. Three busses just loaded up with illegal invaders at Detroit Metro. Anyone have any idea where they’re headed with their police escort?"
In a text message, Maddock didn’t answer whether he would delete the tweet after it was called out for misinformation; instead claiming immigrants are "dangerous."
Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow commented on the post: "A sitting State Representative sees a group of busses at the airport and immediately yells 'illegal invaders' which is a pretty rude (and also, frankly, dangerous) way to greet the Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Team arriving for March Madness."
HuffPost reports that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maddock and his wife spread misinformation about the virus, and they denied the 2020 election results. Maddock’s wife, Meshawn, claimed to have organized 20 buses to transport Trump supporters to Washington DC for the January 6, 2021, rally.
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Michigan State Rep. Matt Maddock is an outspoken Trump supporter
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Executive director of campaign group Progress Michigan Sam Inglot warned about the dangers of this rhetoric.
Inglot said: "A lot of people are making fun of Maddock for this, but it’s important to acknowledge the dangerous rhetoric he used while spreading his misinformation.
"Maddock and so many Republicans across the country are carelessly using militaristic language to describe an already-marginalized group of people.
"This type of dehumanization inevitably leads to violence and we cannot let Republicans get away with using it to divide our communities and put people in danger."
Former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party Meshawn Maddock
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Social media users blasted Maddock for his claim in the replies to his initial post.
One user wrote: "Probably teams for the NCAA Mens Sweet 16 playing at LCA on Friday and Sunday" along with a number of clown emojis, to which Maddock replied: "Sure kommie. Good talking point."