North Carolina state Rep. Larry Pittman (R) joked Monday that President Barack Obama couldn’t possibly be a traitor because he originally hails from Kenya, a popular “birther” conspirary theory with the fringe right.
Addressing supporters at a town hall in Concord, N.C., Pittman said he saw a Facebook post that claimed Obama was a “traitor.”
“I just don’t think it’s right at all to call Barack Obama a traitor,” Pittman says in a video captured by Democratic-aligned group American Bridge.
“There’s a lot of things he’s done wrong, but he is not a traitor. Not as far as I can tell,” he said sarcastically. “I haven’t come across any evidence yet that he has done one thing to harm Kenya.”
Pittman’s office was not immediately available for comment.
The remarks come as a fellow North Carolina Republican precinct chair, Don Yelton, also continues to defend his multiple racist comments this week.
