GOP State Rep. Josh Schriver loses staff, committee post after sharing racist conspiracy
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State Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, lost his staff and his spot on a legislative committee as punishment for sharing a social media post amplifying a racist conspiracy theory.
House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, announced Monday his decision to reassign Schriver's staff and remove him from the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Committee. Additionally, resources typically made available to representatives will be held from Schriver by the House Business Office, according to the news release from Tate's office.
Last week, Schriver shared a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec with a graphic with the text "The great replacement!" showing a world map with white human figures in the U.S., Europe and Australia and black human figures dotted across the rest of the land. Tate and lawmakers from both parties condemned Schriver's post.
The conspiracy theory asserts that there is a coordinated and clandestine effort to replace white populations in majority-white countries, and has been described as racist and a "paranoid narrative," by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The post drew sharp rebukes and condemnation from leading Democratic figures in Michigan, including Tate, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, and other Democratic lawmakers. At least two Republican lawmakers also blasted the post.
"The abhorrent rhetoric pushed by a member of the Michigan House of Representatives goes against our state and national values," Whitmer said in a statement released Friday. "We have a moral obligation to speak out against hatred. It is a failure of leadership for this kind of action to take place unchecked by the leaders of Rep. Schriver's caucus, and the longer there is no action taken, the more responsibility leadership bears."
On X, Schriver has continued to defend the post. He declined to return a message seeking comment Monday morning. When a reporter left a message asking for comment on Tate’s actions, Schriver replied by asking to be forwarded the announcement from Tate's office, which is publicly available on the House Democrats' website.
The great replacement theory has been widely condemned by anti-hate groups. In 2022, law enforcement officials investigated whether the theory was the motivation behind a mass shooting in Buffalo that killed 10 people, according to the Associated Press. Most of the victims of the shooting were Black.
In explaining his decision to take action against Schriver, Tate said Schriver has elevated ideas associated with violence, threatening the safety of Michigan residents. "I will not allow the Michigan House of Representatives to be a forum for the proliferation of racist, hateful and bigoted speech," Tate said in a statement. "The House of Representatives is the people's house, and all Michiganders should look upon this body and take pride in how we conduct ourselves. It is also a workplace, and I have a responsibility to make sure the employees of the House feel safe and secure."
Despite the widespread admonitions from Democratic figures and groups, House Republican leadership has not issued any statements about Schriver's post. A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, didn't respond to a message seeking comment Monday morning.
Republican state Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, condemned Schriver’s actions in a lengthy Facebook post Sunday.
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"I read with great horror yesterday a report of a Michigan state legislator advancing overtly cruel and racist ideas. I am sad to say this was a state representative who claims to be a member of my own Republican Party. But, let us be clear, his sickening words have nothing to do with the ideals we claim to uphold as Americans or conservatives," Damoose said.
State Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, also issued a statement blasting Schriver's tweet. "All people have a moral obligation to speak out against hate whenever it rears its ugly head — this is one of those times," she said in a statement.
Schriver — a freshman lawmaker — was elected to the state House in November 2022, winning almost 65% of the vote in the 66th state House district that includes all of Addison, Brandon, and Oxford townships and part of Oakland Township in Oakland County, along with Bruce and Washington townships in Macomb County. Before serving as a state representative, he worked as a kindergarten teacher in Detroit and then as a behavior analyst to support children with autism and their families, according to his biography on the House GOP caucus' website.
Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) @arpanlobo.
Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan GOP rep Josh Schriver loses committee post over racist theory
