A White House official who stoked controversy with social media posts attacking police, supporting the anti-Israel movement, and promoting “Russiagate,” is now downplaying these posts, saying that they were written when he was younger and do not reflect his current views.
Tyler Cherry was promoted last week as an associate communications director at the White House, after more than three years at the Department of Interior working for Secretary Deb Haaland. The promotion brought renewed attention to some of Cherry’s past incendiary posts.
WHITE HOUSE PROMOTES BIDEN OFFICIAL WHO COMPARED POLICE TO SLAVE PATROLS, WANTS TO ABOLISH ICE
Interior Department spokesperson Tyler Cherry has been promoted to asssociate communications director at the White House. (Getty Images)
In one tweet, from 2015, Cherry said he was “praying even harder for an end to a capitalistic police state motivated by explicit and implicit racial biases.”
The tweet came amid riots sparked by the police custody death of Freddie Gray, a Black man, in Baltimore.
WHITE HOUSE FINALIZES RULES INCREASING CLEAN ENERGY SUBSIDIES FIVEFOLD IN BID TO SUPPORT GREEN JOBS
In another post a few months later, Cherry said modern day policing was a “direct evolution of slave patrols and lynch mobs.”
Many of his posts have championed the cause of Palestinians against Israel. In one post from July 25, 2014, Cherry wrote: “Cheersing in bars to ending the occupation of Palestine – no shame and f— your glares #ISupportGaza #FreePalestine.”
Others posts have been directed at Republicans, whom he has accused of being too focused on “white grievance politics.” Another outright calling for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customts Enforcement (ICE).
On Sunday, Cherry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Past social media posts from when I was younger do not reflect my current views. Period.”
“I support this Administration’s agenda – and will continue my communications work focused on our climate and environmental policies,” he wrote.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Cherry for comment about the evolution of his beliefs. White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates previously told Fox News Digital that the White House was “very proud to have Tyler on the team.”
The Biden administration, much to the dismay of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, has reaffirmed its support of Israel as the country continues waging war on Hamas in response to the terrorist group’s attack on Oct. 7 that killed around 1,200 people and saw hundreds taken hostage.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In recent months though, there has been a growing rift between the Biden administration and that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The White House has grown increasingly critical of his leadership over the past months as the death toll in Gaza has risen.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.