The Democratic congressional candidate running in a critical South Texas swing district has faced mounting controversy over his past comments on law enforcement.
Bobby Pulido, a Latin music star, made headlines after a resurfaced tweet suggested that half of the police officers he has interacted with are "abusive a--holes." The 2017 post, which has since been deleted, was part of a thread discussing his experiences with law enforcement.
Pulido claimed to have been pulled over in Mississippi for swerving out of his lane and that one of the officers pulled a gun on him after asking for his identification. In a follow-up tweet, he suggested that the officers "really wanted to search my jag for money." He also stated that "Not all cops abuse power, but many do."
This is not the first time Pulido has faced scrutiny over his comments on law enforcement. In 2018, he wrote that "we have an abusive cop problem" and referenced a video of an El Paso police officer appearing to point his gun at a mob of children who seemed to be interfering with an arrest.
Pulido's campaign has dismissed the controversy as "lies" and "desperate attacks" from his opponents. However, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee has accused Pulido of smearing law enforcement and befriending criminals.
The controversy comes as Pulido is running to unseat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas' Congressional District 15. De La Cruz's campaign has accused Pulido of smearing Border Patrol officers, which Pulido's campaign has denied.
Pulido's past comments on immigration enforcement have also raised eyebrows. He has stated that "a lot of the people that are joining" immigration enforcement are White nationalists who want to "hunt people down." However, he has also claimed to be a lifelong supporter of law enforcement.
The controversy is likely to continue in the lead-up to the November election, as both sides engage in a heated battle for the seat.
