Top Texas official endorses nuking 'the Muslim world,' blames staffers, won't apologize

Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, call your office
(Image credit: CC by: AgriLife Today)

On Sunday night, the official Facebook page for Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller shared a photo of an atomic mushroom cloud bookended by the following text: "Japan has been at peace with the U.S. since August 9, 1945. It's time we made peace with the Muslim world." The post was erased early Monday, but not before people noticed. Miller, in his first year on the job, is on a business trip to China, but his campaign spokesman, Todd Smith, blamed Miller's staff for the post.

Not that Smith, or Miller, is apologizing for appearing to endorse the nuclear annihilation of "the Muslim world" — or punishing the staff member who posted the photo. "We're not going to apologize for the posts that show up on our Facebook page," Smith told The Texas Tribune. "I don’t know who did it, but I'm not going to start a witch hunt to find out who did." In fact, Smith added, he found the post "thought provoking."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.