William Lawrence faces scrutiny over deleted radical social media posts

William Lawrence Michigan 7th Congressional District Sunrise Movement social media posts Democratic nominee

William Lawrence, the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, is facing scrutiny after deleted social media posts revealed a history of radical political views. Lawrence, a co-founder of the climate organization Sunrise Movement, has presented himself as a moderate in the competitive swing district, but unearthed digital records show him advocating for the abolition of the Senate, police, and prisons.

The resurfaced posts include Lawrence describing the nuclear family as an “isolating, individualistic, violent way of organizing society” and calling for the “forced nationalization” of fossil fuel companies. Additionally, lyrics from a song he wrote in 2021 targeted moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, containing the phrase, “Hurry up and die so that we can get started.”

Lawrence’s past commentary also included support for open borders and the “eradication” of national borders. While he has attempted to scrub these statements from his digital presence, the findings have brought his political alignment into question during his campaign to unseat the Republican incumbent.

Entities

Elissa Slotkin · Joe Manchin · Michigan's 7th Congressional District · Sunrise Movement · Tom Barrett · William Lawrence

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Lawrence advocated for nationalizing fossil-fuel companies. keyt.com · krdo.com · kvia.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Lawrence previously attacked Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin in social media posts. keyt.com · krdo.com · kvia.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The deleted posts included calls for police and prison abolition. keyt.com · krdo.com · kvia.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Lawrence was a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement. keyt.com · krdo.com · kvia.com
[● 3 SOURCES] William Lawrence deleted hundreds of old social media posts. keyt.com · krdo.com · kvia.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Lawrence is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. keyt.com · krdo.com · kvia.com