On Sunday, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak was approached at a Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas by a man who recorded the conflict on video threatening to “hang you from a lamppost.”
In the video, a man asks Mr. Sisolak, a Democrat, to take a picture together. The Governor agrees and the man hugs him, before moving on to a profanity-laced tirade and calling the Governor a “traitor to the new world order”.
The governor and his wife start to leave the restaurant, and the man follows him.
— Where’s your security, punk? the man in the video says. “We should hang you right now by the lamppost.
A man follows the governor and his wife into the parking lot of a restaurant, accusing Mr. Sisolak of treason and working for China. The governor’s wife Katie Sisolak, who was born in Nevada, is of Chinese descent, according to the governor’s website.
“You’re lucky I’m a law-abiding citizen,” the man says.
The governor and his wife are then joined near their car by their daughter, who had lunch with them, after which the man in the video leaves them alone.
This clash comes at a time when threats against government officials, both Republicans and Democrats, have skyrocketed, according to a recent New York Times review of more than 75 indictments against individuals accused of threatening lawmakers since 2016.
The governor’s office said in a statement Monday that Mr. Sisolak is “deeply disappointed with the way this incident has played out, especially the language used to talk about the legacy of First Lady Cathy Sisolak.”
The statement continued: “We may disagree on issues, but personal attacks and threats are unfounded, unwanted, and inappropriate for Nevada residents. The Governor is working on behalf of everyone in Nevada—even those who disagree with him—and he will continue to do so.”
The governor’s office said the altercation was being investigated, but did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Mr. Sisolak would press charges.
The man, Justin Anders, held a press conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday, during which he said he would not apologize to the governor.
“I will not apologize for speaking out and expressing two years of frustration,” said Mr. Anders. “I will not apologize for holding public officials responsible for their choices.”
Mr Andersch said he lost his job and his medical benefits because of “Mr Sisolak’s willingness to dutifully follow other excessive authoritarian measures” that he said were taken by government officials in the interest of public health.
“We have withstood two full years of authoritarian abuse based on constantly shifting scientific goals,” Mr. Anders said. “Our nation has reached a point where many of us feel faceless and nameless in relation to the ruling elite, who seem to live by a different set of rules, and to the rest of us.”
Mr. Sisolak recently lifted the mask requirement in the state of Nevada. However, like several other elected officials across the country, he has faced backlash from some voters throughout the pandemic over public health measures such as mandatory masks and shutdowns. He is running for re-election this November.
Mr. Andersz founded a podcast called “Cannabis and Combat”, which is described on his website as a show that “sheds light on the darkest corners of contemporary culture.”
“Take it easy when you’re uncomfortable because that’s what it takes to get the truth out to the masses,” the show’s website says. “Thanks to our amazing supporters, we can fight this battle every day. Evil never takes a day, and neither do we.”