Valentina Gomez, a candidate for Missouri Secretary of State whose Republican campaign has been largely homophobic, called on black Americans to “get the fuck out” of the United States if they continue to want reparations for slavery ahead of the national Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday.

“Reparations for slavery and Black victims are being forced upon us on America’s worst holiday,” Gomez said in a viral video on Tuesday. “BLM (Black Lives Matter) has raised millions. And what have they done for Black lives?”

“It’s outrageous when people ask for reparations when they never experienced slavery,” continued the 25-year-old Republican from Columbia. “These ungrateful people should celebrate because they were born into the greatest nation that ever existed.”

Gomez clearly didn’t understand that Black Lives Matter was founded not to demand reparations, but as a protest movement against police brutality. And he seemed confused when he called for reparations for people who “never experienced slavery” — because that’s exactly who the organization is for.

“Here’s a tip,” she explained nonetheless. “If you don’t like America, please go away.”

Juneteenth was officially declared a national holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021, but has been celebrated by black families in the United States for decades as it commemorates the emancipation of the last American slaves in 1865 in Galveston, Texas.

As expected, the holiday faced opposition from numerous Republicans, including black right-wing commentator Candace Owens, who claimed in 2021 that Democrats were “trying to repackage racial segregation” and in 2023 she called the holiday “ghetto and made up.”

“America is the greatest country in the world,” Gomez said in a statement to HuffPost on Tuesday. “If you are not a slave, then you do NOT deserve reparations. Straight white men built the roads we drive on, the buildings we live in, and the ones who fought and declared independence from the tyranny of the British so we could have freedom and the pursuit of happiness. To ANYONE who doesn’t like America: GET OUT!”

She added: “President Trump is the greatest president of all time and I look forward to accepting his support.”

While her social media stunts have successfully drawn attention to her campaign in the Aug. 6 primary, they also bear all the hallmarks of an online troll who will do anything to go viral. The MAGA-aligned real estate investor has previously expressed this view herself.

Not only did Gomez use a flamethrower to set LGBTQ-themed books on fire earlier this year to mobilize her reactionary base, but she also told them “don’t be weak and gay” in a campaign ad last month – and wore a T-shirt with the slogan in Tuesday’s video.

While many expressed their support on social media, Gomez also received well-deserved criticism.

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