Former Republican congressman Joe Walsh blames Obama and Black Lives Matter for Dallas shootings

As news emerged Thursday evening of a deadly shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers, one former congressman wasted no time placing the blame on the U.S. president.

His 'Real America is coming after you' tweet to the president outraged some Twitter users

Avneet Dhillon CBC News Posted: Jul 08, 2016 3:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 8, 2016

As news emerged Thursday evening of a deadly shooting in Dallas that killed five police officers, one former congressman wasted no time placing the blame on the U.S. president.

In a tweet that has since been removed,former Republican congressman Joe Walshthreatened"war"on bothObama and Black Lives Matter protesters, blaming them for causing the shootings due to their "anti-cop" rhetoric.

Walsh told the Chicago Tribune the tweet was up for an hour before Twitter suspended his account. It was reopened on the condition that theydelete the tweet.

"Theysaidthe tweet might look like it might incite violence," Walsh told the newspaper.

Joe Walsh deleted his tweet. Here's the screenshot: pic.twitter.com/t5ke5YWxbu
—@kylegriffin1

Walsh's tirade

Walsh has not apologized or stopped tweeting since last night's attack. He claims Black Lives Matter is an incendiary group that promotes violence and that Obamadoes the same. Walsh called for Americans to stand up to "cop haters."

Cops do God's work and are killed in the streets. This has to stop.
—@WalshFreedom

If you kill a cop, you should get the death penalty. No questions asked.
—@WalshFreedom

BLM should be categorized as a hate group.
—@WalshFreedom

Obama has BLOOD ON HIS HANDS
—@WalshFreedom

The backlash

After the "Watch out Obama" tweet was deleted, Walsh said on Twitter that he wasn't trying to promote violence.

I wasn't calling for violence, against Obama or anyone. Obama's words & BLM's deeds have gotten cops killed. Time for us to defend our cops.
—@WalshFreedom

@WalshFreedom trynna change your words , shut up
—@amakalovesu

Responses to Walsh's tweets were swift, with users calling him out for threatening the president.

Joe Walsh needs to be arrested for threatening our President. STFU @walshfreedom
—@johnlegend

If Joe Walsh isn't arrested tonight, our laws are worthless.
—@MattMurph24

.@twitter why hasn't @WalshFreedom's account at least been suspended for abusive speech? He is a danger to the public.
—@ecareyo

If someone of my complexion threatened to kill @POTUS like Joe Walsh, we'd end up in Guantanamo. Please handle this radical terrorist @FBI
—@SowmyaK

Walsh continued his Twitter tirade Friday morning.

So Obama & the Left were quick to call Minn an act of racism.

The black Dallas shooter set out to kill white Cops.

Act of racism Obama?
—@WalshFreedom

Former congressman @WalshFreedom is tweeting such idiotic vitriol that if he's not careful he may accidentally win the Republican nomination
—@GuyEndoreKaiser

Twitter user Mike Druckerattempted to counter the tone of Walsh's tweets, posting a photo that was shared by Dallas police before the shooting began.

You'll see a lot of mentions today of division. But remember this photo taken at the protest and posted by @DallasPD pic.twitter.com/C4m4e5NCg0
—@MikeDrucker

That photo is a man peacefully protesting and having his right supported by the people he's protesting. That's "Real America," @WalshFreedom
—@MikeDrucker

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Former Republican congressman Joe Walsh blames Obama and Black Lives Matter for Dallas shootings

His 'Real America is coming after you' tweet to the president outraged some Twitter users

Walsh's tirade

The backlash

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