The history professor at California State University, Fresno who appeared to advocate for the death of President Donald Trump on Twitter has apologized profusely and taken a temporary leave of absence in an undisclosed location because he now fears for his personal safety.
The professor, Lars Maischak, composed the tweets around the end of February. The tweets called for Trump to “hang” in order to “save American democracy.” “The sooner and the higher, the better.” The only “cure” for racist people is a bullet to their head, the tweets also said. Maischak used hashtags including “#TheResistance” and “#DeathToFascism.”
Maischak says he now deeply regrets composing and publishing the tweets.
“I ask forgiveness of those who felt threatened or offended by them,” Maischak wrote in a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times. “It was never my intent to harm anyone, nor to encourage others to harm anyone.”
“I never expected them to be read by anyone but a close circle of acquaintances who would know to place them in their context,” Maischak also said in the Wednesday statement.
He did not intend for the now-deleted Twitter account to be viewed as an “invitation, or endorsement of, violence,” he said. (RELATED: Professor: ‘Trump Must Hang,’ Republicans Should Be Executed For Each Immigrant Deported)
Maischak lamented that he has received a “flood of threats and hate-mail” for tweeting that the president and various racists should be murdered.
Maischak’s Twitter account, which has existed since June 2013, also asked: “Has anyone started soliciting money and design drafts for a monument honoring the Trump assassin, yet?”
Another tweet read: “#TheResistance #ethniccleansing Justice = The execution of two Republicans for each deported immigrant.”
Also: “Mercy towards racists was always the fatal weakness of good Americans” and “#WhenCaliforniaSecedes, You Fascist Trump-voting white trash scum can wallow in your filthy hell-holes of flyover states.”
The history professor further suggested the need to “ban the @GOP” because “a democracy must not be tolerant of those who want to abolish democracy.”
Maischak is now facing an investigation by the Secret Service. He has offered his complete cooperation, he said.
The professor had just 28 Twitter followers before his incendiary remarks on Twitter made him instantly infamous.
Fresno State University president Joseph Castro told the Times he welcomes “Maischak’s willingness to take accountability for the statements made on his Twitter account.” Mostly, Castro said, he wants to keep students safe.
Maischak decided to leave Fresno this week because of the threats he has received.
“I am not taking my chances,” he told the Times.
He has missed no classes so far. Fresno State’s spring break was April 10 to April 14.
Officials at Fresno State have canceled Maischak’s classes for Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Maischak, who holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, is teaching five sections of U.S. history this semester.
The cancellations affect 213 students.
Over 1,100 people have signed a petition demanding that Fresno State fire Maischak for his political views.
http://dailycaller.com/2017/04/15/fresno-state-professor-who-said-trump-must-hang-apologizes-profusely-flees-fresno/
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