MAGA influencer backtracks after sparking backlash with meme about killing immigrant children
Salt Lake City, Utah - A MAGA influencer recently got into hot water after sharing a meme on social media that appeared to advocate the murder of immigrant children.
In a recent X post, Riley Beesley, a student at the University of Utah and vice chairman of the Utah Federation of College Republicans, declared, "EVERY ILLEGAL OUT. EVEN THE KIDS."
The post included a screenshot from a scene in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, in which a young Anakin Skywalker is ordered to kill a room full of children, a moment referred to as Order 66.
The scene is considered iconic in the franchise, as it is the defining moment in which Anakin fully commits to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader.
The post comes as President Donald Trump wages an aggressive anti-immigrant agenda, which has resulted in thousands of adults and children being deported – many without due process.
Beesley ultimately deleted the post, but other users shared screenshots of it around the platform.
This isn't the first time a MAGA Republican has used Star Wars to push a narrative. Last May, President Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself with bulging muscles and a red lightsaber as he's flanked by two bald eagles and American flags.
Fans were quick to point out that the red lightsaber is well known in Star Wars lore to represent "the dark side of the Force, aggression, and the quest for power."
Cover photo: Screenshot / X / RileyBeesley
