A high official within the US state division deleted abusive tweets through which he mentioned the then Florida senator Marco Rubio – who’s now secretary of state – had a “low IQ” and unfold unsubstantiated rumors about his sexuality, CNN reported.
In tweets from 7 January 2021, Darren Beattie referred to scurrilous on-line rumors and added: “Neglect the battle promotion and the neocon sugar daddies, neglect the low IQ, neglect the 2016 major, Rubio is TOUGH ON CHINA (and good for army industrial advanced) So be a superb DOG and vote for him!!!”
The day earlier than, Donald Trump had incited supporters to storm Congress in an try and overturn his defeat within the 2020 election, an assault Rubio condemned.
On 7 January, after repeating baseless innuendo about Rubio, Beattie posted: “Does Marco Rubio have a future in politics?”
Rubio served one other 4 years within the Senate earlier than changing into secretary of state below Trump, regardless of having run towards Trump in 2016 and amid widespread criticism of his embrace of coverage positions, significantly relating to rapprochement with Russia, that contradict views lengthy held within the Senate.
Beattie was a speechwriter within the first Trump administration, till CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski, a specialist in unearthing previous on-line content material, reported that Beattie attended a white nationalist convention in 2016.
After leaving the White Home, Beattie based Revolver Information, a far-right web site which unfold January 6 conspiracy theories. Final month, Beattie was made performing under-secretary of state for public diplomacy, an appointment that stoked protests from Democrats and progressive commentators.
Responding to remarks reminiscent of “competent white males have to be in cost in order for you issues to work”, the commentator Van Jones known as Beattie’s appointment “shameless and despicable” and mentioned the Trump administration was “deliver[ing] in folks out of the trash can … horrible individuals who you wouldn’t rent to run a bodega”.
On Monday, Kaczynski and fellow CNN reporter Em Steck reported that whereas Beattie had left most of his offensive feedback on-line, he appeared to have “purged” criticism of Rubio from X, the social media platform owned by Trump ally Elon Musk.
In different now-deleted posts, Beattie known as Rubio “faux” and questioned his bona fides as a pro-Trump Republican.
Beattie instructed CNN: “Secretary Rubio is 100% America First and it’s an incredible honor to work for him in advancing President Trump’s world historic agenda.”
Rubio has declined to touch upon Beattie’s appointment.
On 5 February, the previous senator instructed reporters Beattie would concentrate on “not wanting this Division of State to be concerned in censorship”, then dodged a query about criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, which campaigns towards antisemitism.
Requested if he had seen Beattie’s X account, Rubio mentioned, “OK, thanks guys,” and ended the briefing.
