Georgia Rep. Mike Collins under fire again for controversial social media post
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., speaks during a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on a resolution "stating that President Donald Trump did not engage in insurrection," on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag
ATLANTA - Republican Rep. Mike Collins, who represents Georgia's 10th congressional district, is facing criticism for a controversial post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
On Wednesday, Collins wrote, "You either die a Kennedy with a hole in the brain or live long enough to become a Kennedy with a hole in the brain." The post followed a New York Times article revealing that 70-year-old Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had said during his 2012 divorce proceedings that a brain abnormality seen on scans "was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died." The post is a reference to Kennedy's father and uncle.
John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a gunshot to the head on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Robert F. Kennedy was also shot in the head and back on June 6, 1968, at a Los Angeles hotel.
Collins’ post sparked strong reactions, including comments like, "Even when it seems impossible, this worthless garbage human being always finds a way to sink lower" and "My God, the entire @GOP is a disgrace and embarrassment to this country. You’re truly deplorable." Another user described the post as "the most disgraceful post I have ever seen from a sitting member of Congress. Absolutely ghoulish and repugnant."
Just a week ago, Collins shared a controversial video from a pro-Palestine protest at the University of Mississippi, captioning it "Ole Miss taking care of business." The video depicted dozens of white, male Ole Miss students taunting a Black woman during the protest.
After backlash, Collins responded that he didn't believe the racist behavior was "the focal point of the video," though he acknowledged some "potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us seek to glorify." He did not, however, remove the post.
In April, Collins posted "Not sure what y'all are doing up north, but we don't give them the time to encamp. Tazers set to stun!" in reference to the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.
In February, Collins posted that an undocumented immigrant accused of killing a University of Georgia student would make a "great first passenger for the new Pinochet Air," referring to the infamous "death flights" by the secret police of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Collins was responsible for introducing the Laken Riley Act, which requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants charged with theft.
The cities of Athens, Eatonton, Jackson, Miledgeville, Monroe, Washington, Watkinsville, Winder and Wrightsville make up the 10th congressional district in Georgia.