A North Carolina congressional candidate is facing intense backlash after sharing a social media post that critics say trivialized both racial violence and a recent deadly law enforcement incident.
Austin Ayers, a Republican-aligned candidate who has also identified himself as a libertarian, drew condemnation this week after posting an image that attempted to draw a parallel between George Floyd’s final words “I can’t breathe,” and a fabricated quote attributed to Renee Good, who was fatally wounded by ICE agents in Minneapolis last week after attempting to flee in her car. The post claimed Good said “I can’t brake,” a phrase that is entirely fictional and widely viewed as mocking both Floyd’s death and the circumstances surrounding Good’s death.
The comparison ignited immediate outrage, particularly online, where users accused Ayers of exploiting tragedy for shock value and political attention. The discussion gained traction on Reddit’s North Carolina subreddit, where thousands of users upvoted a thread condemning the post and questioning Ayers’ fitness for public office.
One highly upvoted comment summed up the reaction succinctly:
“I’m torn between wanting to be informed and wishing I didn’t know things like this exist.”
Others were less restrained, arguing that the post represented a deliberate attempt to provoke outrage rather than engage in serious political discourse. Several commenters suggested Ayers was leaning into controversy because of his long-shot campaign status, with one Reddit user writing that he was “just trolling at this point,” while another described the strategy as “be an absolute scumbag to get headlines and gain name recognition.”
Much of the discussion also turned toward Ayers’ political identity. While he has run under a libertarian label, many commenters rejected that characterization outright, arguing that mocking victims of police violence runs counter to libertarian principles. One user wrote that “just comply” rhetoric is “the antithesis of what libertarianism is,” while another bluntly stated, “This guy Ayers is just another bigoted a-hole who hides behind a label. He is no libertarian.”
The post also reopened broader debates about the libertarian movement itself, with former party supporters describing what they see as a shift toward reactionary politics and online grievance culture. Several commenters argued that figures like Ayers are less interested in policy than in generating viral moments, regardless of who is harmed in the process.
As of now, Ayers has not issued a public apology or clarification regarding the post. According to multiple commenters, his campaign has little financial backing and may not even be viable, fueling further claims that the controversy is an attempt to stay relevant rather than a serious bid for a North Carolina office.
