Connecticut State Rep. DebraLee Hovey had a rather insensitive message for former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who visited Newtown after the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings: “Stay out of my towns!!”
The six-term Republican took to Facebook to make the rant, arguing the visit “was political.”
“The Lt. Gov was there, [Sen. Richard] Blumenthall was there and ALL political types KNOW it is courteous to let sitting Reps known when another political is in their District. So......There was pure political motives,” she wrote Friday.
The posts were first reported and screen-grabbed by the Hartford Courant, and have since been removed.
Since Giffords miraculously survived being shot in the head by a disturbed gunman at an event in Tucson in 2011, she has been pushing for stricter gun control laws and better mental health treatment across the country.
In Newtown, the Democrat privately met with families of victims in last month’s shooting, which left 26 people dead. Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, also met privately with government officials.
Her visit also comes as the Obama Administration prepares for an ambitious gun control plan.
Hovey backtracked on her remarks on Monday.
“The remarks I made regarding Congresswoman Gifford’s visit were insensitive and if I offended anyone I truly apologize,” Hovey said in a statement.
However, Hovey’s not the only Republican accusing politicians trying to take advantage of the shooting in Newtown.
Tea Party favorite, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, told Fox News Sunday that “Within minutes we saw politicians run out and try to exploit this tragedy, try to push their political agenda of gun control.”