A Nevada man filmed himself accosting Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) while he was in a restaurant with his family over the weekend, with video of the expletive-filled incident showing the unhinged man threatening to hang the governor for being a “new world order traitor.”
Video posted to social media shows the man first approaching Sisolak for a selfie in a Las Vegas restaurant Sunday before launching into a vitriolic terror. Sisolak turns to leave the restaurant with his wife, but is followed outside by the man, who only stops once Sisolak’s daughter catches up with them in the parking lot.
“I’m surprised you have the balls to be out here in public, punk. Out here without a cop, out here without security,” the man hollered while filming in Sisolak’s face. When Sisolak’s wife, Kathy Sisolak, catches up to him, the man appears to target her Asian heritage, the video shows.
“You working for China piece of shit,” the man calls to the couple as they walk ahead of him. “You fucking traitor. We should string you up by lamp posts now pussy boy.”
A second man who followed the family outside of the restaurant echoed the calls for violence, saying: “You know what they do to traitors. They hang traitors.”
Steve Sisolak’s office said in a statement Monday that the governor is “deeply disappointed” in what happened, “particularly with the language used to talk about First Lady Kathy Sisolak’s heritage. We can disagree about the issues, but the personal attacks and threats are unwarranted, unwelcome and unbecoming behavior for Nevadans.”
Right-wing blogger Justin Andersch took responsibility for the foul-mouthed screed while reading from a statement outside of his attorney’s office on Tuesday.
“I will not apologize for speaking out and expressing two years of frustration,” he said, according to local station KSNV. “I will not apologize for holding public officials responsible for their choices. I will not apologize for using language that is heard endlessly on every social media and music streaming platform daily.”
Andersch said he was angry with the governor over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in how it related to his loss of employment.
The Nevada State Police Department confirmed to HuffPost Wednesday that the incident is under investigation.
“Due to the ongoing status of the investigation, further information cannot be provided at this time,” a public information officer said.
Andersch’s attorney, Craig Mueller, who represented rancher Cliven Bundy in his fight against the federal government in 2014, told KSNV that he’s watched the video and does not see any grounds for criminal charges.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, however, was among those calling for the man to be held accountable.
“Completely unacceptable! We all should denounce this verbal attack and racist diatribe against the Governor and First Lady. Thankfully no violence ensued,” he tweeted. “Real patriots don’t act like this, and anyone perpetrating these actions should be held accountable.”
Representatives with Ford’s office and the Clark County District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment on Wednesday.
Former Clark County District Attorney David Roger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the man’s actions, as seen in the video, do appear to rise to the level of criminal conduct.
The state’s harassment statute, he said, “prohibits a person from threatening to cause bodily injury to a person if the victim reasonably believes that the threat will be carried out.”
