Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee sparked backlash on social media during the Democratic presidential debate Tuesday night for a tweet alluding to dog meat.
The Republican presidential candidate targeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-described democratic socialist and one of five candidates on the stage in Las Vegas.
“I trust @BernieSanders with my tax dollars like I trust a North Korean chef with my labrador! #DemDebate,” Huckabee said in his tweet, which was shared more than 6,000 times.
After a slew of responses slamming the “racist” note, Huckabee doubled down on his remark with another tweet knocking critics who “think it’s racist to deplore a brutal dictatorship.”
The remarks were among a series of tweets sent by Huckabee’s account during the course of the two-hour debate, which was discussed on social media by other candidates such as Donald Trump.
Another GOP rival, Sen Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), took a lighter note toward the end of the debate, tweeting, “Can’t take it any longer. Wouldn’t make Gitmo detainees watch all of this.”