The American Civil Liberties Union’s Twitter account triggered a digital uproar among followers Wednesday for promoting its child clothing line with an admitted “white supremacy” message.
The troublesome tweet contained the image of a white toddler holding an American flag and stuffed animal wearing a onesie with the ACLU logo.
Shortly thereafter, verified Twitter users shared their displeasure with the message, accusing the left-wing organization of pining for a future with more patriotic white children.
Shortly after the original message, the ACLU clarified its stance–admitting that blowback was justified and served as a reminder that “white supremacy is everywhere.”
The ACLU was already standing on thin ice around the establishment and fringes of the left in the aftermath of the events in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group received immense criticism from supporters and donors alike for their representing Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler against the City of Charlottesville in securing proper permits to assemble downtown, according to CNBC. Virginia Governor and possible 2020 presidential hopeful Terry McAuliffe placed blame for the violence squarely on the shoulders of the ACLU.
“We asked – the city of Charlottesville asked for that to be moved out of downtown Charlottesville to a park about a mile and a half away – a lot of open fields. That was the place that it should’ve been. We were, unfortunately, sued by the ACLU. And the judge ruled against us,” McAuliffe told NPR.
The group fired back in a statement claiming the “lawsuit challenging the city to act constitutionally did not cause violence” and the ACLU does “not support Nazis.”