Julie von Haefen row: Did NC Democrat call for Donald Trump's beheading? She explains viral post

North Carolina Democratic Rep Julie von Haefen faced intense backlash on social media over a post from the ‘No Kings’ protest in Raleigh

Published on: Jun 16, 2025, 05:25:41 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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North Carolina Democratic Rep Julie von Haefen faced intense backlash on social media over a post from the ‘No Kings’ protest in Raleigh. Several X users accused her of sharing a photo that showed a woman holding posters calling for President Donald Trump's beheading. The image showed a protester with a sign featuring a bloody guillotine, the text ‘In these difficult times, some cuts may be necessary’, and a prop resembling Trump’s severed head.

Julie von Haefen is facing backlash on social media (X)

Von Haefen’s caption read, “No Kings Protest in Raleigh. Amazing turnout all across the Triangle today, including this event at the Capitol hosted by Wake Democrats and North Carolina Democrats. #lfg #nokings #raleigh.”

After the post went viral, several Republicans accused von Haefen of calling for Trump’s beheading. The Wake County GOP and NCGOP demanded her resignation, labeling the post as inciting violence.

Von Haefen’s Explanation

Von Haefen deleted the image. She posted on social media: “Yesterday, I posted a video on social media containing crowd photos from the No Kings protest in Raleigh. One of the images of a protester holding a sign was inappropriate, and I later edited the video to remove the photo. Let me be clear: I condemn political violence in all forms. My focus remains on bringing people together and fighting for the values that matter to North Carolinians. Like so many, I was horrified by the violence in Minnesota. There is no place for that kind of extremism in our democracy, no matter the target, no matter the party.”

Did She Call for Trump’s Beheading?

Von Haefen’s caption did not explicitly call for Trump’s beheading, focusing instead on protest turnout. However, she faced backlash on social media.

“Wow this is sick. North Carolina State Rep Julie von Haefen (D) posted a photo from the “no kings” protest which calls for Trump to be beheaded‼️@FBI,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Not buying any of this. She knew exactly what she was doing. She’s just sorry she got caught,” another person tweeted.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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