At a Massachusetts Republican Party St. Patricks Day breakfast Sunday, Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr. (R) joked that the nation would be better off if President Obama were assassinated.
Blue Mass Group
reports that the Boston Globe noted the stunning comment Sunday:
McDonald offered a joke about Barack Obama being visited in a dream by three past presidents, who offered advice on how to improve the country. Lincolns advice: Go to the theater.
The alleged joke received scattered laughter.
McDonald, who was first elected Sheriff in 2004,
notes on his website that he is an avid sportsman and target shooter and
writes: Plymouth County deserves the best in public safety, and I intend to continue to deliver. Given the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabby Giffords in 2011 and the
spate of mass shootings across the country, it is stunning that a top public safety officer would find this sort of joke appropriate.
A spokesman for McDonald did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Note: The comment was on the Boston Globe website on Sunday night, but disappeared shortly after.