Kansas GOP Fundraiser Lets Attendees Kick, Punch Joe Biden Effigy

Kansas Republicans are under backlash for hosting a fundraiser on Friday night at which participants violently attacked an effigy of President Joe Biden.

The event happened on Friday in Overland Park, Kan., the state's second-largest city, and was organized by the Johnson County Republican Party as "A Grand Ol' Party: Johnson County Road to Red Event."

Kansas GOP Event Features Biden Effigy

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 7: A protester with red paint on his hands and a mask depicting President Joe Biden attends a Pro-Palestinian protest near the White House on March 7, 2024 in Washington, DC. President Biden will deliver his annual State of the Union address in front of a Joint session of Congress tonight.
(Photo : Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Dinah Sykes, a well-known figure in the Kansas Democratic party, has expressed reservations about the troubling incidents documented at an earlier Republican event in Johnson County, Kansas. Video footage shared on social media showed event participants attacking a dummy wearing a mask resembling President Joe Biden and a T-shirt with the phrase "Let's go Brandon," a derogatory slogan mocking Biden.

Sykes voiced his disapproval of the act of political violence, including the point that such actions cannot be disregarded or allowed. She issued a call to action to the leaders of the Republican party in the state, urging them to deal with the problems as soon as possible and take immediate action against anyone guilty for encouraging such behavior.

It has been said that the Johnson County Republican Party was responsible for organizing the event, which took place in the Overland Park Convention Center of Kansas. As part of the events that took place to raise funding, attendees were given the option to physically assault the effigy of President Biden.

Particularly interesting were the presence of popular visitors at the event, such as the musician Ted Nugent and the former Attorney General of Kansas, Phill Kline.

Although knowing that the original video link on Rumble has been deleted, it has been widely shared across a variety of social media sites, which has resulted in indignation and criticism from people across both parties, according to The Guardian.

GOP Chair's Defense Criticized After Event

Maria Holiday, the Chairwoman of the Johnson County GOP, attempted to downplay the incident by stating that the booth featuring the effigy was hosted by a karate school promoting self-defense classes. However, many swiftly denounced the act as a form of political violence, including former Kansas GOP Chairman Mike Kuckelman.

In reaction to the event, Kuckelman moved to Facebook to voice his disapproval and to ask that Holiday and Mike Brown, the chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, step down from their positions.

He drew similarities between the attack on the effigy of Joe Biden and a similar event in which comedian Kathy Griffin was seen carrying a fake severed head of Donald Trump, who was serving as President at the time. He emphasized the need of maintaining consistency while denouncing activities of this nature.

Responding to the backlash, Republican Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins condemned political violence in general, stressing the importance of maintaining civility and respect in political discourse.

This event has caused discussions about the limits of political speech and the impact of making violence a common part of political conversations. Due to the continuing fallout, there have been rising demands for accountability and introspection from members of both the Republican and Democratic parties in Kansas.