Michigan Governor Candidate Accused of Promoting Violence With “Treason” Hanging Threat

A Republican candidate for Michigan governor has come under fire for publicly threatening elected officials with hanging, marking the second time in recent weeks he has made comments invoking extreme violence under the banner of “treason.”

Anthony Hudson, a Genesee County truck driver running for the Republican nomination in the Michigan governor’s race, made headlines again after remarks he made both on social media and in a local government meeting. The comments have alarmed political opponents and prompted condemnation across the political spectrum.

Hudson posted a video to his social media channels in which he appeared with a large loop of rope wrapped around his arm and addressed what he described as corrupt lawmakers. “It’s time to get the rope,” Hudson said, appealing to what he called “Michiganians and patriots.”

He accused certain politicians, including U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters, of receiving kickbacks from former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. “My hope is that every one of them will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and may their names forever live in shame for their treason.

Less than a month later, Hudson echoed similar language at a Feb. 1 Mason City Council meeting while criticising a proposed data centre project. Speaking to local officials, he said: “You guys never listen, and that’s the problem. These people voted you into office so that you could be their voice in government. When you go against that voice, you commit what we call treason.

The punishment for treason is public hanging. So, I suggest you start listening.” Hudson’s remarks were swiftly condemned by the Michigan Democratic Party, which called the language unacceptable and dangerous. “Political violence is completely unacceptable, and this kind of dangerous, hateful extremism has no place in our state and country.

Anthony Hudson must immediately retract these comments and issue an apology,” Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman said in a statement. The Michigan Republican Party did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hudson, however, doubled down on his statements when pressed by the Michigan Advance.

In an email to the news outlet, he pushed back on critics and framed his remarks as a warning about legal consequences rather than a threat. “Know the law and the consequences! I didn’t write the law; as governor, I will enforce it. Educating someone about the law and what the consequences are is not threatening anyone,” he wrote.

“Don’t come at me for holding them accountable and saying the worst part out loud.” Hudson’s rhetoric echoes broader tensions in conservative politics. Similar language has been used by national figures in recent years; for example, President Donald Trump, when responding to other controversies, used charged terms like “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS” and described certain actions as “punishable by DEATH!” Though not directly related to Hudson’s campaign, Trump’s comments reflect the heightened intensity of political discourse.

As the Michigan Republican primary draws closer, Hudson’s statements are likely to remain a point of discussion, raising questions about campaign rhetoric, political violence, and the boundaries of acceptable speech in public life.

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