Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) posted, then deleted, a tweet calling for “war” against President Obama in the aftermath of the Dallas police shootings.
Walsh also threatened the Black Lives Matter movement in his late Thursday tweet, CNN reported.
“3 Dallas cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you.”
{mosads}The tweet drew immediate backlash when it was posted. It had been retweeted more than 2,000 times before it was deleted.
After deleting it, Walsh defended the post, saying rhetoric from Obama and Black Lives Matter protesters endangers law enforcement.
He also linked the media with the attacks.
Five police officers were killed and seven injured by sniper fire in Dallas late Thursday evening. Two civilians were also shot and injured.
Four people with rifles are suspected in the attack, one of whom was killed when a police robot detonated an explosive.
The killings took place amid a protest against deadly force by police officers against African-Americans nationwide.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown on Friday said the suspect who died “wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”