Since the identification of Thomas Sanford as the suspect in Sunday's attack at a church in Flint, Michigan, Sanford's alleged political links have surfaced on social media. There has been no comment on the suspect's political affiliation from law enforcement, but internet sleuths were quick to either frame him as pro or anti-Trump.
In the latest addition to those, US House Representative Eric Swalwell of California shared a photo of the suspect, where he can be seen wearing a T-shirt that says: "Trump 2020: Make Liberals Cry Again." A caricature of Trump doing a thumbs-up can be seen on top of the text. But the photo has sparked a row, with many social media users accusing Swalwell of sharing a doctored image.
“I’m sure JD Vance agrees with me that it doesn’t matter that the Michigan terrorist was a MAGA supporter. Because in America, regardless of your politics, violence has never been the answer,” Swalwell writes in the caption.
Here's the photo and Swalwell's post:
They claim that the original photo, where Thomas Sanford can be seen with his family, does not have any text or image on his t-shirt. Sanford, an ex-Marine, can be seen wearing a green camouflage t-shirt in the photo.
{{/usCountry}}They claim that the original photo, where Thomas Sanford can be seen with his family, does not have any text or image on his t-shirt. Sanford, an ex-Marine, can be seen wearing a green camouflage t-shirt in the photo.
{{/usCountry}}“Eric (Fang fang) Swalwell Photoshopped the Michigan church shooter's shirt to try to say he was maga,” wrote one MAGA-supporting X account.
Hundreds of such posts were made, mostly by far-right X accounts, accusing Rep. Swalwell of sharing a "photoshopped image." So much so that 'photoshopped' started trending on X.
“When he’s not bench pressing 9th grade girl level weight, Eric Swalwell is posting photoshopped images of mass shooters,” said another.
What We Know About The Photo
The photo shared by Rep. Eric Swalwell can be found on the Facebook account 'Brantlee's journey,' supposedly run by Thomas Sanford and his wife, Tella, documenting the life of their son, Brantlee. The photo was shared on the account on September 13, 2019, a little more than a year before Trump lost the 2020 election.
Also read: Thomas Sanford Facebook details: Michigan church shooter's ‘hunting trophies’ and gun photos surface
Indeed, in the photo, Thomas Sanford can be seen wearing the "Trump 2020 Make Liberals Cry" t-shirt. As the caption states, the photo was shared on the fourth birthday of their son, Brantlee.
Sanford opened fire at the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church in Flint, Michigan, and then set fire to the structure. At least four people were killed: two were shot, while two died in the fire. Eight others were injured, with some still critical.
Thomas Sanford was killed by law enforcement during a stand-off at the parking lot of the church.