HUGO, Minn. — A Minnesota state house candidate declared “Blue lives ain’t sh**” outside the home of Minneapolis Police Federation president Bob Kroll in an expletive-laden speech within earshot of children.
Video shows John Thompson angrily shouting choice words into a microphone at neighbors who support police, WCCO reported. Some of the clips also show children nearby.
“Come on over here with your ‘Blue Lives Matter’ sign. Blue lives ain’t sh**, and if people in Hugo don’t support black people, f*** Hugo,” Thompson could be heard saying.
Thompson, who is the Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) candidate for District 67A, later apologized after facing backlash for shouting the profanities, WCCO reported.
“I want to make a positive difference, and my comments on Saturday were not helpful,” Thompson wrote in a Facebook post Sunday.
Thompson, who won his primary last week, added, “Inflammatory rhetoric is not how I want to address the important issues we’re facing, and I apologize.”
Ken Martin, the state’s DFL chairman, issued a statement saying the party doesn’t condone Thompson’s rhetoric, the outlet reported.
“I’m grateful for the work John is doing to combat systemic racism, and I’m glad that he recognizes yesterday’s rhetoric was inflammatory, hurtful, and does not help move our state forward in the fight for justice,” Martin said.
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