Athens Congressman criticized for deleted tweet

Georgia Congressman Jody Hice, the 10th District Republican who represents Athens in the US House, is under fire for a tweet that surfaced on Wednesday, the day violence erupted at the Capitol in Washington.

From Tia Mitchell, AJC…

Hice posted a picture on Instagram that appeared to be him walking toward the House chamber ahead of the session. “This is our 1776 moment,” the caption said.

New Yorker reporter Charles Bethea shared a screenshot on Twitter, bringing attention to and condemnation of Hice’s post. By that time, the rally outside the Capitol had turned violent, with rioters forcing their way inside the building, vandalizing the Senate chamber and breaking windows in an attempt to enter the House chamber.

Hice deleted the picture from Instagram minutes later.

His spokeswoman, Sarah Selip, told us this morning that the congressman did not intend for his photo, posted before the violence occurred, to be misinterpreted as a consent of the insurrection. So they took it down.

“The 1776 post was our way of highlighting the electoral objection — we removed the post when we realized it could be misconstrued as supporting those acting violently yesterday and storming the Capitol,” Selip told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Both of which Rep. Hice strongly condemns.”

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