State GOP fires official after post on Capitol attack

The Texas GOP on Wednesday said it had removed Sergeant-at-Arms Walter West over a Facebook post that appeared to endorse the hourslong attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol.

“The Republican Party of Texas in no way endorses Walter West’s statement about the lawlessness occurring at the Capitol building,” the party announced.

The statement went on to condemn the riots: “The Texas GOP has always been on the side of law and order and will remain so.”

The post that prompted West’s removal was shared around 1:30 p.m. and stated the following: “You accepted ANTIFA burning down your cities… “Now Deal with them taking back OUR HOUSE!”

West’s name at some point was removed from the Texas GOP’s website.

In a separate Facebook post that West shared before midnight Wednesday, he denied that he was “inciting any violence” and repeated baseless assertions that the rioters who breached the Capitol building were members of Antifa, an anti-fascist protest movement.