Wisconsin GOP official is branded racist over Facebook meme hailing ‘signs’ of white supremacy

Wisconsin GOP official is branded racist for posting meme which claims ‘warning signs’ of white supremacy include having a job, no criminal record and being able to read

  • The Winnebago Republican Party recently faced backlash over a meme shared on its Facebook page that many are calling racist
  • The meme says, ‘Know the warning signs of white supremacy,’ and lists them as including full-time employment, literacy and a good credit rating
  • It was posted by GOP County Chair Ed Hudak, who also shared the same meme on his personal Facebook page 
  • In the comments, the County Republican Party claimed that the meme was a commentary on Critical Race Theory 
  • Hudak admitted sending the replies, but refused to comment further when confronted by a local journalist  

A Wisconsin county’s Republican Party chapter came under fire after its chairman posted a racist meme saying having a job, a good credit rating and being able to read were all signs of white supremacy.

Ed Hudak shared the post on his personal Facebook page on June 22, then shared it on the Winnebago County Republican Party’s page on June 23.

It showed a photo of a white man in a t-shirt, with the caption: ‘Know the warning signs of white supremacy. 

‘1. Full time employment, 2. Literacy, 3. Professional or technical degree, 4. Regular church/temple attendance, 5. Auto insurance, 6. Good credit rating, 7. No criminal record.   

Hudak tried to claim the post was a commentary on critical race theory, whose teaching in schools is currently prompting widespread discussion across the US.

But his statuses prompted outrage from both liberals and conservatives. 

‘When you see a county Republican party posting something just so explosive with outright racism you have to ask why is this up there,’ Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler told WISN 12 News. 

Wisconsin Republican county chair Ed Hudak shared this post on his personal and local GOP party’s Facebook page, sparking furious condemnation and claims of racism 

Hudak has claimed the post was a commentary on critical race theory, and has refused to comment further

Hudak has claimed the post was a commentary on critical race theory, and has refused to comment further 

The meme has since-been deleted, but Wisconsin Public Radio published screen shots that include some of the comments. In one, a Facebook user named Carrie Anne wrote, ‘WTF? This is absolutely inappropriate. I am a Republican and this is not OK to post. Very ashamed that you would post this.’ 

In a series of responses, the Winnebago Republican Party wrote, ‘Explain how this is inappropriate,’ ‘You had better educate yourself on Critical Race Theory,’ and ‘You should be shaking because this is the kind of racial theory that has invaded our universities and now our local school. When you study the Critical Race Theory the post above is how it plays out in our society and schools.’

Nico Blueford wrote in a comment, ‘This is very inappropriate. Do other minorities not have any of these things?’ and Dale McNamee wrote, ‘It’s racist as hell.’ 

Critical Race Theory teaches that racism against minorities is embedded in every aspect of life. It’s been used in academics for decades, but has recently drawn the ire of conservative politicians who say it’s being used to indoctrinate children and paint white people as inherently oppressive.  

Hudak told a reporter from WISN 12 News that his post was a commentary on Critical Race Theory, but Facebook would not permit him to expand on it. He didn’t explain what he meant by that, but directed the reporter to read his replies to Facebook criticism. 

Hudak refused to comment further on his post when confronted by a reporter outside his home earlier this week

Hudak refused to comment further on his post when confronted by a reporter outside his home earlier this week