GOP Senator Deletes Tweet Citing Cartel Terrorists Wearing Masks in Attempt to Defend ICE

Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images

Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) latest attempt to “own the libs” on social media appeared to backfire over the weekend as he ended up deleting his post amid a flurry of his Democratic colleagues hitting back at him.

Lee posted on Sunday a video of what he captioned as “Cartel hitmen” wearing masks in Mexico, as the country was gripped with terror attacks against infrastructure in retaliation for the killing of a cartel leader. “Cartel hitmen wear masks,” Lee wrote, adding, “Leftists aren’t complaining.”

The Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), shared the post and replied to Lee, “Yes. Cartel hitmen wear masks. That’s why ICE shouldn’t.”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) replied to Lee as well, writing, “Oh dear Mike. I literally couldn’t make our argument better than you do. The bad guys wear masks. The good guys don’t.”

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) added, “Mike, I would like ICE to have the same standards as a local police department, not cartel hitmen.”

Lee’s personal X account, “@BasedMikeLee,” has sparked headlines over the years for some of the more off-color things he has posted. Over the summer, Lee also deleted posts cracking jokes following the murders of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman (D) and State Sen. John Hoffman (D) at their homes.

Lee posted an image of the shooter ringing one of his victims’ doorbells while wearing a mask and wrote, “Nightmare on Waltz Street” – a reference to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D).

“This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way,” Lee wrote in a separate post immediately after the attack. He deleted both posts after sharp criticism from colleagues in both parties who accused him of politicizing a violent crime and national tragedy.

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