Yahoo Autos Former Marine Resigns as July 4 Parade Grand Marshal After Right-Wing Texas Radio Host Targeted Her Family
A former Marine and pro soccer player has pulled out of grand marshal duties for a July 4 parade in Friendswood, Texas, after a conservative Houston radio-show host targeted her online with a Twitter post featuring a photo of her son.
Haley Carter and her family received physical threats of violence as the apparent result of Jesse Kelly’s tweet, according to a statement by the suburban Houston city. The tweet falsely suggested Carter was a Communist, criticized her advocacy against gun violence and referred to Friendswood as a conservative “blood red city.”
“She’s a gun-grabber. She’s into drag. She’s into trans activism,” the tweet read from Kelly, who is a periodic guest on Tucker Carlson’s primetime Fox News show and hosts a nationally syndicated radio program. The tweet also featured a photo of Carter’s son, screengrabbed from a social media post.
“This year’s selected Grand Marshal, Haley Carter, has voluntarily stepped down after receiving threats of harm to herself and her family and will not be participating in any of the Fourth of July activities,” the Friendswood Parks and Recreation Department said in a statement Thursday. “There will be no replacement Grand Marshal.”
