Rex Rammell, an Idaho gubernatorial hopeful, sharply rejects the notion he was serious when he made a joke about purchasing a license to hunt the President of the United States.
The underdog candidate, who is running against Republican incumbent C.L. “Butch” Otter in May of next year, made a comment about the state’s wolf hunt which requires hunters to purchase an $11.50 wolf tag.
When an audience member blurted out question about “Obama tags,” Rammel replied, “The Obama tags?We’d buy some of those.”
According to the Associated Press, Rammell sees no need to apologized for his comments because he was joking.
“What I would say to all my Democrat Idahoans: Take a deep breath and relax,” he said. “We’re not going to go out and hunt Obama.”
He added, “I would never support him being assassinated.”
Threatening the president is a felony crime that could lead to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
“I’m probably safe,” Rammell said. “I’m not the one that started the whole thing.”
“I think the Republican Party in this state and elsewhere would be well served by making it clear those types of comments are very inappropriate,” Democratic Party Chairman Keith Roark said.
Rammell is not the first in his state to make comments insinuating physical threats towards President Obama. In November 2008, second and third grad students chanted from a school bus “Assassinate Obama” after his election. The mayor of the Eastern Idaho town publicly apologized a shortly afterwards.
FBI officials have yet to make a statement on whether the agency plans to launch an investigation or if a complaint has been formally filed.
