MI Rep. Matt Maddock Claims "Illegal Invaders", Actually Just College Ballers

[Edge-]

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/mat...vaders-gonzaga

This weekend, Detroit hosts four teams for the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 – the Creighton Blue Jays, the Tennessee Volunteers, the Purdue Boilermakers, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The teams all arrived this week from their respective campuses – and one of them drew the ire of a Republican lawmaker, who claims they are "illegal invaders".

State Representative Matt Maddock claims that a plane that landed at Detroit Metro Airport Wednesday evening were migrants who then loaded into three buses with a police escort. He posted photos of the three buses and the end of the plane – an Allegiant Airways plane – with this text:

"Happening right now. Three busses (sic) just loaded up with illegal invaders at Detroit Metro. Anyone have any idea where they’re headed with their police escort?"

Maddock included Michigan GOP chairman Pete Hoekstra, who initially retweeted a post that included Maddock's tweet. however – Hoekstra has since that off of his account.
Then on Thursday, Maddock doubled down on the baseless claim:

"We know this is happening. 100,000’s of illegals are pouring into our country. We know it’s happening in Michigan. Our own governor is offering money to take them in! Since we can’t trust the #FakeNews to investigate, citizens will. The process of investigating these issues takes time."

Thursday afternoon, the Wayne County Airport Authority tried to debunk the false claims.

"The four men’s basketball teams competing in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 at Little Caesars Arena arrived at DTW Wednesday evening. The buses seen in a photograph circulating online were transporting the basketball teams and their respective staffs," the WCAA said.

Allegiant doesn't even fly to Detroit. In fact, Detroit is not listed as an option on Allegiant's website. On Flight Aware, only one Allegiant flight is listed as having arrived at DTW on Wednesday. It landed at 7:26 p.m. – about an hour before Maddock posted his claim.

The three buses did get a police escort to the team hotel. That's standard procedure for teams traveling for games.

But they were not full of migrants. They were not full of ‘illegal invaders’. They were full of basketball players, managers, assistants, and equipment. The buses – or others – will head back to the airport with the Gonzaga basketball team once they complete their games this weekend.

Social media is pushing back against Maddock's claims.

This user pointed out that it was the teams arriving for the games – and got a response from Maddock, who called her a "kommie".

Maddock also got a response from Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D) who said his post was "dangerous".

"A sitting State Representative sees a group of buses at the airport and immediately yells "illegal invaders" which is a pretty rude (and also, frankly, dangerous) way to greet the Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Team arriving for March Madness," she wrote.

At this point I'm 100% confident in my theory that Republicans are incapable of intentional humor but are unintentionally some of the funniest people in the world.

Maybe this is State Rep. Matt Maddock's first time seeing planes arrive in an airport? Or teams using busses to go from airports to their hotels ahead of sports games?

And while the MI GOP Chair appears to have quietly deleted their retweet but otherwise not acknowledged that they boosted a baseless, xenophobic conspiracy theory, it appears Matt Maddock is continuing to double down.

Republicans living in paranoid fantasy worlds continues to be a persistent problem in this nation, and it depresses me people who are so apparently truly delusional and paranoid are elected to state or federal office.

[s_bushido]

Call me shallow or whatever, but I don't think that dude could look any more like the stereotypical "proudly racist Republican politician" if he tried.

[Sunseeker]

When Republicans speak of Trump Derangement Syndrome, they're talking their own diagnoses right? Because every time a Republican opens their mouth, it just gets more and more unhinged.

"I saw brown people get off a plane and onto busses with police, clearly they are illegal immigrants being shuttled here by the deep state!!!" Is about as fucking loopy as Jewish space lasers.

[Breccia]

When Republicans speak of Trump Derangement Syndrome, they're talking their own diagnoses right?

Typically, yes. "Pouring over our borders" is a saying he made mainstream hardee har har.

[uuuhname]

ha ha, sure is funny how every republican politician is a thinly veiled racist moron who wants to deport everyone they don't like. sure makes the future of this country look bright!

[Milchshake]

This would be funny if it wasn't dangerous as hell.
Last weekend a NCAA women's team was harassed and threatened by some racist fuckheads.

Might be holding and projecting an old grievance since Washington was one of the first western states/territories to reppeal its anti-miscegenation law.

Nothing animates the KKK, GOP, Alt-Right, or Nazis like protecting their white wimmen.

[Benggaul]

When Republicans speak of Trump Derangement Syndrome, they're talking their own diagnoses right?

Considering practically everything they blame the left for has been proven to be projection? Of course.

[Paranoid Android]

Amazing one of our two major political parties is outright fascist, racist, xenophobic, white nationalist and christian nationalist. So happy our country is heading in this great direction.

As far as this PoS. No repercussions I'm guessing. He will likely be promoted and celebrated in the party.

John Stockton, a Gonzaga grad and Trump humper should cheer this racist idiot I hope that he thinks the basketball team is illegals, cause of You Know.