Deleted tweets show top State Department official spread false rumor about Rubio’s sexuality, called him ‘low IQ’

(CNN) — A top acting State Department official deleted at least half a dozen tweets that ridiculed his now boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including ones calling him “low IQ” and repeating a false rumor about Rubio’s sexuality.

The deleted tweets from Darren Beattie, the acting under secretary of state for public diplomacy, were uncovered as part of a CNN review of his social media and include a mixture of insults and harsh attacks against Rubio.

Beattie, who was fired from his role as a speechwriter during the first Trump administration after CNN’s KFile revealed he attended a conference featuring White nationalists, made a series of attacks over the years against other Republicans, including a number of offensive, homophobic and racist comments.

Though Beattie left up several of his most inflammatory posts, he does appear to have purged criticism of Rubio from his feed. Beattie deleted tweets suggesting a deep hostility toward Rubio — particularly after the then-senator voted to certify the 2020 election results and condemned the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. One deleted tweet also attacked Rubio for criticizing possible Russian actions in Ukraine.

After being ousted from the Trump White House in 2018, Beattie launched Revolver News, a far-right media outlet that has spread conspiracies regarding the January 6 attack. The website has boosted false claims that federal agencies orchestrated aspects of the attack and that extremist groups involved were under government control.

In a tweet that was removed for violating Twitter’s terms of service, on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, Revolver News posted about shooting women who get abortions.

“BREAKING: It’s now legal to shoot women having abortions in New York City with your Supreme Court-issued concealed handgun,” read the post.

Beattie’s appointment fueled outrage, with Democrats calling for his removal over his history of racist and misogynistic tweets and posts that denied the Uyghur genocide in China — most of which are still on his public X account.

In response to a series of questions from CNN, Beattie responded, “Secretary Rubio is 100 percent America First and it’s a tremendous honor to work for him in advancing President Trump’s world historical agenda.”

Rubio has declined to comment on Beattie’s past offensive statements and said that Beattie’s role would focus on perceived online censorship. He has also said Beattie will not be nominated for the full-time position, which requires Senate confirmation. Acting officials can serve for 300 days.

Beattie’s position ranks as one of the most important at the State Department, serving as the secretary of state’s top adviser on public affairs and public diplomacy. Beattie also oversees the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which implements educational, professional and cultural exchanges to advance US interests, such as foreign exchange programs and Fulbright scholarships.

Beattie’s position at the State Department highlights Rubio’s unique role in the administration. Once a fierce Trump critic and a hawkish internationalist, Rubio now finds himself working with people who have openly ridiculed him.

In a now-deleted tweet on January 7, 2021, Beattie invoked far-right conspiracy theories about Rubio’s past, referencing “Wainwright Park” — a curfew violation from Rubio’s teenage years that was later twisted into baseless speculation that Rubio is gay — and “foam,” a reference to similarly unfounded claims about Rubio attending foam parties at gay nightclubs.

“Forget Wainwright park, forget the foam, forget the war promotion and the neocon sugar daddies, forget the low IQ, forget the 2016 primary, Rubio is TOUGH ON CHINA (and good for military industrial complex) So be a good DOG and vote for him!!!” Beattie wrote.

A follow-up tweet about Rubio said, “What happens in the Cabana stays in the Cabana #Rubio.”

Beattie followed up his tweet with one that mocked what he perceived as Rubio’s attempt to rebrand himself as a nationalist, while sarcastically saying he supported tax credits for Black Lives Matter and criticizing his hawkish rhetoric on China.

“If a bunch of DC wonks try to reinvent Marco Rubio as a nationalist, but a ‘respectable’ one who promises tax credits to BLM supporters and is “TOUGH ON CHINA” will you be a good dog and vote for him?” the tweet said.

“Does Marco Rubio have a future in politics?” Beattie asked in another deleted tweet.

Beattie deleted three other tweets from July 23, 2020, that called efforts to rebrand Rubio a nationalist a “scam,” “nonsense” and “fake.”

“The idea behind the Hawley/Rubio scam is this. They are smart enough to know the rebranded neoconservatism of Nikki Haley and Crenshaw has no legs. Also smart enough to know free-market libertarianism has no legs,” Beattie wrote.

In a deleted March 7, 2022, tweet, Beattie cast doubt that then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons during the country’s civil war in a tweet attacking Rubio’s warning that any chemical, biological or nuclear attacks in Ukraine would be attributable to Russia.

“I bet Rubio still thinks Assad gassed his own people,” Beattie wrote, responding to Rubio.

The-CNN-Wire
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