West Yellowstone Mayor Jeff McBirnie is facing criticism from some residents after posting a message on Facebook over the weekend that read, “I’m ANTIFA. F Trump and his Nazi followers.”
McBirnie confirmed the authenticity of the post Tuesday, saying it was an expression of his right to free speech as protected by the first amendment.
“It was my way of attending the No Kings protest last Saturday which I couldn’t attend,” he told the Chronicle in a phone call. “I have a First Amendment right to peaceful protest.”
The post, shared with the Chronicle and via a Facebook group, drew criticism from residents of the small tourist town at the western entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Amy Beegel, a local business owner, said the behavior was concerning and noted some have called for McBirnie to resign.
McBirnie’s post came around the same time as the “No Kings” protests Saturday, when some 6,000 to 8,000 people showed up along Main Street in Bozeman. Antifa stands for anti-fascist and is the name given to people who oppose far-right extremism.
The term has become politically charged, especially since President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization via an executive order in September.
“I’m anti-fascist, that’s all that means,” McBirnie said. “I said what I said because I said what I said. I’m not in a terrorist organization. I’m just not happy with what’s happening at the federal level.”
Other posts by McBirnie have also circulated, including one criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and another referring to Trump as an “orange mango.”
“Do you think ICE agents families are proud of them? Maybe that’s why they were masks so their family won’t recognize what pieces of sh*t they married and had kids with. This I'm following orders thing is BS,” he wrote on Aug. 27. “They choose to do what they are doing and the way they are doing it. Be better do better.”
Another from Sept. 10 said: “Why do Republicans like protecting a pedophile? Oh that’s right the orange mango is their true God.”
Former West Yellowstone Mayor Jerry Johnson told the Chronicle he had seen the posts but said they had been deleted, which McBirnie later confirmed.
"Everybody has a right to to voice their own personal opinion but they also have the right to accept the consequences of voicing their personal opinion," Johnson said. "Jeff McBirnie was duly elected by the citizens of West Yellowstone, in a town that has a nonpartisan government...by saying such vile things about a group of his constituents really says a lot about him."
McBirnie was appointed mayor of West Yellowstone earlier this year and has been a Town Council member since 2022. He is up for re-election in two weeks.
Fellow Council member Lisa Griffith declined to comment when reached by the Chronicle. Other Council members couldn’t be reached before publication.
(3) comments
I think this a big reason why only 7 million attended nationwide and so few in the rest of Idaho. Being an outspoken Democrat makes many people fearful for their jobs or even in some cases for their safety. There were 22 arrests where MAGA had violently attacked protesters just as those who were pardoned who violently attacked the capital on Jan. 6 to overthrow the Constitution of the United States. These people know they are protected by Trump who is a Confederate elected on lies. "They are eating the cats. They are eating the dogs." also 22 million illegals have come into the country under Biden. 22 million!!! This is the combined population of 11 states equaling 22 million : Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and West Virginia. Isn't that amazing!!! Now I am not saying that anyone who believed the Father of Lies has Rocks in their head. I am only saying in might be a possibility.
That is not to say that now the White House is bragging to have deported 400 and some thousand illegals. This is also counting students who were in the U.S on visas in study at American Universities. Any person who has a legal visa is also had it pulled if they were from any country unfavorable to Trump policies or exercised their Connotational right of protest. It included several hundred people who were in their last stages of becoming legal citizens. it included any people shipped to torture prisons and incarcerated with no criminal record. It included many poor people who who have been in the U.S for decades but never made more than minimum wage and could not afford the several thousand dollars needed for paperwork. These people with bonafide jobs who have paid taxes to the American government were handcuffed like common criminals, incarcerated, and deported to countries unknown. When Trump made the statement that this is an English only country he was particularly showing he White Supremist mentality. New Mexico is a State with 3 Official languages. Spanish in compliance that this was once Mexico. And Navajo in compliance among many other things that Navajo is tha language that was used in WW11 as code in the Pacific to transmit military information and the code could not be broken by the enemy. In compliance too of the sacrifices made by indigenous peoples to further the cause of freedom in the United States. The Confederate administration seeks to ignore common decency and push an aggressive illegaal agenda. certainly Democrats are not wanted in most places where there are violent Trump supporters and believe in KKK and White Supremist Doctrine. Trump is waging a war of vengeance against Democrats and initiating the National Guard as his private police force for intimidation and future intimidation of voter choice keeping democrats away from the polls and illegally finding the names of registered Democrats to target for job loss and financial confiscation. as well as depriving them of the vote. Instead of his riot mobs of January 6th he will use the National Guard to overthrow elections he does see as republican victories including and foremost the 2026 elections.
I agree with him 100%. Went to the No Kings demonstration at I.F. Saturday and met a lot of very nice people. Handed out 25 Pocket Constitutions and 30 US Flag pins. It was great!
McBirnie better hurry to exercise his right to free speech. The First Amendment is under attack.
Welcome to the discussion.
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