The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department just stepped into a political minefield with a now-deleted X post calling U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites "tragic," according to the New York Post.
On Sunday, the department posted on X, expressing condolences for “victims and families” affected by the strikes, sparking a firestorm of online criticism. The post claimed the department was monitoring the situation with local, state, and federal partners. Critics pounced, arguing the strikes targeted dangerous nuclear facilities, not innocent civilians.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran,” the department’s post read. Victims? The airstrikes hit Iran’s nuclear program, not a marketplace, leaving many to wonder who exactly the sheriff’s office was mourning.
The post didn’t just raise eyebrows—it ignited a digital uproar. Independent journalist Collin Rugg and Libs of TikTok highlighted its deletion after the backlash grew too loud to ignore. The internet doesn’t forget, and neither do the critics who screenshot the misstep.
Stop Antisemitism, an American advocacy group, questioned if the account was hacked or if an employee went rogue. “There were no victims in last night’s successful targeting of Iran’s nuclear sites,” they fired back. The group demanded answers, suspecting foul play or gross incompetence.
“Please verify this post was not posted by an employee of the LA County Sheriff’s HQ,” Stop Antisemitism added. The implication was clear: either the department’s security is a joke, or someone’s agenda slipped through the cracks. Both options spell trouble.
Under pressure, the sheriff’s department tried to edit the post, scrubbing references to “victims” and the “tragic” label. The cleanup attempt was too little, too late, and the post vanished entirely from X. Damage control doesn’t work when the screenshots are already circulating.
Late Sunday, the department issued a groveling apology, calling the post “offensive and inappropriate.” “This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department,” they stated. Apologies don’t erase the question: how did this happen in the first place?
The department confirmed the post was tweaked before its deletion, but that only deepened the mystery. Who authorized the changes, and why did they think a quick edit would quiet the storm? Transparency is clearly not their strong suit.
An internal review is now underway to uncover how this blunder made it online. The department promised to strengthen its social media oversight protocols, admitting that their current system is a mess. Better late than never, but the public’s trust is already shaken.
“Steps are being taken to strengthen our social media oversight protocols,” the department vowed. Sounds good, but protocols won’t fix a culture that lets anti-American sentiment slip into official posts. The review better dig deep.
X users didn’t hold back, with one calling the post “shocking” given the bravery of U.S. forces. “It is shocking that the LA Sheriff Department employs someone who would post such messages,” they wrote. The sentiment reflects a broader frustration with woke bureaucrats undermining national pride.
Another user demanded that the responsible party be fired and investigated. “That individual should be fired immediately and then investigated,” they insisted. When a sheriff’s department sounds like it’s sympathizing with Iran’s regime, heads should roll.
Some went further, demanding Sheriff Robert Luna’s resignation. “Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna should resign in disgrace,” one user raged. While Luna himself may not have typed the post, the buck stops with him, and the public’s patience is thin.
The department’s apology emphasized its focus on public safety, not foreign policy. “Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities,” they claimed. If that’s true, they’d do well to stick to policing and leave geopolitics to the grown-ups.
