CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A West Virginia Republican lawmaker said Sunday his comments made on Twitter calling for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s public execution weren’t meant to be taken literally.
House of Delegates member Mike Folk said his tweet Friday over Clinton’s use of a private email system while she served as secretary of state was “hyperbole.”
In the tweet, Folk said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee “should be tried for treason, murder, and crimes against the US Constitution … then hung on the Mall in Washington, DC.”
Folk said in a telephone interview he still wants Clinton to go on trial, but he doesn’t want her executed.
For those asking, here’s the screenshot of @MichaelFolk34‘s now deleted tweet. Here you go: cc: @unitedpic.twitter.com/UBvBYQSTvr
— Josh Charles (@MrJoshCharles) July 17, 2016
“It could have been said a little bit better,” Folk said. “I regret the tone, and the second part of that tweet.
“The biggest misconception is that for some reason, everybody thinks I made a death threat, which I did not. Clearly it was not that.”
The Justice Department announced this month Clinton would not be prosecuted over her handling of classified information.
Folk said he sent the tweet after watching a video of testimony before a U.S. House committee over the Clinton emails.
“I watch something like that that gets me riled up, I usually just sleep on it and maybe do something the next day,” he said. “I should have done that.”
The state Democratic Party has called for his resignation. Folk said he won’t resign.
Folk is a United Airlines pilot. United Airlines said Sunday that Folk has been removed from his schedule and is not flying pending an investigation.
Folk, who is seeking a third term in the House, said he hasn’t directly talked with the state GOP about the matter.
