Michele Morrow, the Republican nominee for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, has recently come under fire for comments that some have interpreted as a call for political violence. Morrow vehemently denied these implications, asserting outside the Cary Senior Center—an early voting site—that her messages were not to be understood as endorsements of actual conflict. "Do I talk about a culture war? I sure do. Am I fighting for our children? Absolutely I am," Morrow said, "It is ridiculous to imply that I am calling for an armed revolution," according to WRAL News.
Controversy ignited over an email sent to her supporters dated September 30, where Morrow referenced the coming election as the "American Revolution 2.0" and urged to "willingly fight now, or we will be forced to fight on Nov 6th. This is war, ladies and gentlemen!" This was to apparently galvanize her base amidst a tight race with Democrat Mo Green, who has criticized Morrow's rhetoric. As obtained by ABC11, Green stated, "Our children deserve leaders who will unite us and foster a safe, productive learning environment, not someone who calls for political violence over and over again."
Amidst the backlash, Morrow has tried to swiftly pivot away from her past comments and instead focus on her plans to improve North Carolina's public schools. "I have been purposely talking about the solutions that I'm going to bring to the school system," she commented, trying to deflect from her previous controversial statements, which included suggesting military intervention to maintain former President Donald Trump in office and inappropriate remarks regarding former President Barack Obama. These comments were described as being made in jest, as per the WRAL report.
However, Morrow continued to emphasize her commitment to educational reform and parental involvement in schools. On Thursday, she admitted that her statements might have been "hyperbolic or whatever it might be," according to CBS 17. She said, "What I’m saying is the fight’s going to continue. That was just kind of hyperbolic or whatever it might be. I’m sorry if the words offend people. I am more offended by our children being at risk and the adults doing nothing to stop it."
In response to Morrow's defense, her opponent Mo Green referred to her history of inflammatory statements, underscoring the repetitiveness of a violent undertone in her past rhetoric. "Advocating for violence is not new for Michele Morrow," he said in a statement obtained by CBS 17.
