GOP Congressman Blames ‘Stupid’ Homophobic Post On Staffer After Backlash

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

Republican Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN) blamed his homophobic post on a staffer on Tuesday, calling it “stupid” after widespread backlash from both sides of the aisle.

Ogles posted to X Tuesday with a shocking message for Pride Month: “Homosexuality has no place in America.”

Many members of his own party were quick to call out their colleague, leading Ogles to delete the post later in the day.

“Homosexuality exists. In America. In fact Andy, you have family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and constituents who are gay and lesbian,” replied Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) to the post.

“It doesn’t make them less than or somehow unworthy of being an American. What an absolutely idiotic statement to make,” added Lawler, who also called Ogles a “f*cking idiot” when asked about the post by TMZ.

Meghan McCain invoked President Donald Trump’s openly gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, writing: “You gonna say this to Scott Bessent’s face? Or you gonna slide back into the sewer pits where you live?”

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), conservative influencer Link Lauren, former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), and a slew of media figures dually condemned the post.

Hours later, Ogles stopped short of directly apologizing for the post, instead calling it “hurtful” while passing the buck to an aide he claimed had been “reprimanded.”

“Earlier today while working on the farm, my phone began going crazy because of a post made by a member of my comms team,” he wrote. “The post was stupid, hurtful and a complete distraction from my America First focus. The employee has been reprimanded.”

The move echoes one made by Trump earlier this year, when he posted a racist video showing former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama’s faces superimposed onto the bodies of apes. The post was first left up, then deleted, and then blamed on a staffer.

“President Trump didn’t see the video (legitimately didn’t), a staffer posted it,” an administration official told Politico’s Sophia Cai.

Ogles posted similar remarks about American Muslims a few months prior, writing, “Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie.” That post did not receive Republican backlash.

The congressman’s conduct has posed problems in the past, going so far as to unite House Democrats and Republicans last year when they condemned Ogles for posting “Wanted” posters for judges outside of his office on Capitol Hill.

Ogles was also under federal criminal investigation for allegations tied to his campaign finance reporting until the DOJ dropped the probe last month.

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