A GOP lawmaker has apologized for a social media post about religious freedom aimed at a pro-life activist, after conservatives and a progressive lawmaker criticized him.
Rep. Max Miller of Ohio had asked for Right to Life Ohio director of communications Lizzie Marbach to delete her post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that said, “There’s no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone.”
Mr. Miller responded on his X account, “This is one of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen. Delete it, Lizzie. Religious freedom in the United States applies to every religion. You have gone too far.”
Hours following that remark, Mr. Miller, who is Jewish, apologized.
“I posted something earlier that conveyed a message I did not intend,” he said in a later post. “I will not try to hide my mistake or run from it. I sincerely apologize to Lizzie and to everyone who read my post.”
However, Mr. Miller’s initial condemnation of Ms. Marbach’s statement set off conservatives who attacked the Ohio Republican for calling the post “bigoted.”
Matt Walsh, a columnist for The Daily Wire, asked why Mr. Miller would ask Ms. Marbach to delete her post.
“As a GOP congressman from Ohio, why in the world would you think it a good idea to condemn someone as bigoted for professing their Christian faith and demand that they delete it?” Mr. Walsh said on X.
On his X account, conservative radio host Erick Erickson said, “Ohio Republican cites *basic Christian orthodoxy* and Republican Congressman declares she has ‘gone too far.’” He added, “(corrected, I just assumed Dem, given his reaction).”
Christina Pushaw, rapid response director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Republican presidential campaign, said the U.S. “isn’t a dictatorship.”
“Regardless of anyone’s religious beliefs, it’s just fundamentally wrong for a member of congress to order a citizen to delete a tweet. This isn’t a dictatorship,” she posted.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat and member of the House progressive caucus, joined in on the criticism of Mr. Miller’s post.
“No! Stating the core beliefs or principles of your faith isn’t bigoted as Lizzie did. It’s religious freedom, and no one should be scolded for that,” she posted. “It’s also wrong to speak about religious freedom while simultaneously harassing people who freely express their beliefs.”