Deleted Social Media Scrutiny
Deleted Social Media Posts Reveal Radical Past of Michigan Congressional Candidate William Lawrence
Anonymous
Key Points
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Lawrence won the Democratic primary with roughly 44% of the vote, defeating former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam.
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Lawrence was arrested and found guilty in 2013 after participating in a protest against a gas pipeline in Michigan.
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His campaign has received endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and the Working Families Party, according to reporting about the controversy.
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In deleted posts, Lawrence urged progressive activists to challenge Democratic leadership, including writing, “AOC primary Chuck Schumer challenge! Leadership have failed their jobs. It’s time for the Dem civil war to rage.”
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Lawrence’s deleted posts reportedly date back to 2020 and included attacks on moderate Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, while he described critics of the party’s progressive wing as “timid Dems” who should either adapt or leave the party.
William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, is facing fallout over hundreds of deleted social media posts revealing radical positions from his activist past. CNN reported that the posts showed Lawrence advocated abolishing the Senate, eliminating police and prisons, nationalizing fossil-fuel companies, and rejecting the traditional nuclear family. The controversy threatens a race CNN identified as competitive and a Democratic pickup target.
Lawrence won the Democratic primary with 44% of the vote, defeating former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam. His campaign has secured endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and the Working Families Party, but the deleted posts give Republicans ammunition to portray him as outside the political mainstream.
A Pattern of Extreme Posts From 2020
Lawrence's deleted posts dating back to 2020 reveal a far-left activist worldview. CNN reported he wrote "AOC primary Chuck Schumer challenge! Leadership have failed their jobs. It's time for the Dem civil war to rage." He called moderate Democrats "timid Dems" who should either adapt or leave the party. Fox News noted Lawrence previously advocated for defunding police and nationalizing fossil fuel production.
Most starkly, Lawrence posted lyrics about older generations and then-Sen. Joe Manchin that included: "Hurry up and die so that we can get started." Jonathan Turley reported Lawrence has joined other far-left figures in what critics call the "Spanberger strategy" — scrubbing social media before running for office in competitive districts.
Lawrence's History as a Socialist Activist
Lawrence was a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. In 2013, he was arrested and found guilty for participating in a protest against a gas pipeline in Michigan. His political background explains the radical positions in the deleted posts but complicates his general-election bid in a swing district.
Red State reported that Lawrence's deleted posts included calls for police and prison abolition. His social media trail reveals someone who rejected incremental change and pushed for structural transformation of American institutions, institutions most moderate voters support.
Republicans Seize on the Controversy
Conservative commentators and Republican groups are using the deleted posts to paint Lawrence as a radical. The New York Post highlighted the post wishing death on centrist Democrats. Legal Insurrection noted Lawrence deleted hundreds of posts before launching his campaign, suggesting an attempt to hide his past positions from general-election voters.
Lawrence has sought to distance himself from some views but hasn't fully repudiated his activist past. The controversy arrives as Democrats target the seat to flip it from Republican Rep. Tom Barrett, making Lawrence's baggage a potential liability in a purple district that requires moderate voter support.
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