Illinois Democrat Sen. Martin Sandoval Holds Mock Trump Assassination At Fundraiser

Here's a video of the disgusting mock assassination:

If you find this horrible, you're not the only one.

The photos of the mock Trump assassination sparked outrage online.

Kellyanne Conway was among the voices condeming the disgusting act:

Other Twitter users, both Republican and Democrats, also chimed in:

Since the news of this attrocity sparked fierce backlash (and rightfully so!) Sen. Sandoval was forced to apologize for the "unacceptable" misjudgment.

Local news source WCIA 3 gave more details:

A series of pictures posted online after a Friday night political fundraising event for state Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) show an event attendee pointing what appears to be a fake assault weapon at another person wearing a Mexican costume and a mask of President Donald Trump.

Donors paid a minimum of $250 to attend Sandoval’s golf outing at the Klein Creek Golf Club in west suburban Winfield. A woman who attended the event posted the photos to her Facebook page on Saturday and tagged Sandoval in them. Sandoval is pictured separately posing with the man who held the fake weapon, but it remains unclear if the Senator knew about the incident when it occurred.

The mock assassination pose drew quick, bipartisan condemnation from Governor J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois Democratic Party, and from the Illinois Republican Party alike. 

“As our nation grapples with the epidemic of gun violence, purposely pointing a fake gun at anyone is insensitive and wrong,” Pritzker said Saturday night. “I condemn actions like the ones displayed in the pictures because they lack the civility our politics demands.”

“The tragedies in El Paso and Gilroy have demonstrated how hate-filled political rhetoric can fuel violence,” Maura Possley, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Illinois, said. “These images are unacceptable and dangerous. The place to make our voices heard against Trump is at the ballot box.”

Sandoval, a powerful state lawmaker who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee and was a driving force behind the recent gas tax increase to fund the ‘Rebuild Illinois’ capital plan, issued an apology in an emailed statement.

“The incident that took place is unacceptable,” he said. “I don’t condone violence toward the President or anyone else. I apologize that something like this happened at my event.”

The Washington Times also said:

An Illinois state lawmaker apologized Sunday after photos from one of his political fundraisers that surfaced on social media showed a mock assassination of President Trump.                                 

A photo taken at the Klein Creek Golf Club in Winfield during a fundraiser for Democratic state Sen. Martin Sandoval showed a person pointing what appeared to be a fake firearm at another person wearing a Trump mask. The photo was first posted on Facebook by a woman who attended the event, a local CBS affiliate reported.

Other photos were posted that showed Mr. Sandoval posing with the man who held the fake weapon, but it remains unclear whether the lawmaker was aware of the incident at the time.

“The incident that took place is unacceptable,” Mr. Sandoval said in a statement, the CBS affiliate reported. “I don’t condone violence toward the President or anyone else. I apologize that something like this happened at my event.”

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said Mr. Sandoval’s apology was “too little, too late” and that the people in the photo should be identified and fired if they’re found to be affiliated with Mr. Sandoval.