Conservative commentator Rob Smith accused a state legislator from Missouri of being among the individuals who allegedly heckled him at a MAGA event in December.
Smith, a Republican who is Black and gay, alleged that Missouri State Representative Chris Lonsdale joined a group of conservatives accused of heckling him while attending a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix in December 2023.
Video sent by Smith to Newsweek appears to show Lonsdale near a crowd that heckled and chanted a homophobic slur against Smith. Lonsdale was seen pointing his finger toward Smith. However, the video was taken from behind the lawmaker, and it remained unclear whether he was among the individuals chanting the slur.
“One of the individuals is a Republican elected official named Chris Lonsdale, a State Rep for MO district 38,” Smith wrote in an X message to Newsweek.
Newsweek reached out to Lonsdale for comment via email.
Lonsdale is a Republican state representative first elected in 2022. His district is centered around Kansas City suburbs in Clay County, north of the city. His profile on X, formerly Twitter, describes him as a “liberty first” legislator who is “loathed by the MO swamp.”
Smith first made allegations that a group accosted him while attending the Turning Point USA event in a post made on December 18, 2023, to X.
“Last night in Phoenix, I was confronted and surrounded by some White Supremacists that don’t like gays or blacks in the Republican Party. They shouted ‘n*****’ and ‘f*****’ at me to make their point. However, I served in Iraq. I never back down. Ever,” he wrote.
Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images
Turning Point USA responded to his post, condemning the actions of those accused of using slurs against him and that the confrontation occurred after Smith went to a “separate bar/venue that is some distance from the convention center after the program had concluded for the day.”
“These people started yelling disgusting slurs at him. He responded well and held his ground, but this should have never happened to Rob. What’s captured in the video posted by Rob is truly abhorrent, disgusting behavior and it’s unacceptable anyone should have to endure that type of treatment,” the conservative organization said in a statement.
Earlier Friday, Smith warned he would release “receipts” on the individuals accused of shouting slurs at him in a post to X.
“Those people were not pretend Republicans or Antifa types they were all involved with @RNRenewal (and direct ties to other orgs) and I have many more receipts to back it up which will be released in the coming weeks,” Smith wrote.
When an X user said they would look into who supports the group’s 501(c)(4)—referring to the tax code designation for social welfare organizations—Smith said, “It would be very interesting to look into that,” adding that he may have information about the individuals he said harassed him.
“In fact, I may have had someone doing just that! I may have had someone looking into LOTS of things about those who participated in the harassment. Some of whom REALLY don’t need any legal trouble!” Smith wrote.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.