SEATTLE (KOMO) — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s office said Monday she is not commenting after questions surfaced about a recent post on the Mayor’s official X account, but instead offered this response.
“Our city is facing an affordability crisis, thousands of homeless people are living outside, and our civil rights are under attack. That’s what the mayor is spending her time on, not commenting on a blurry sticker on the edge of a social media post,” the Mayor’s office said in an email to KOMO News.
An image shared Sunday shows Wilson posing with two individuals, one of whom is wearing a shirt that reads “FIGHT I.C.E.” and holding a sign with a sticker stating “Nazis own flammable cars.”
Strategies 360 CEO and KOMO News political analyst Ron Dotzauer said in his opinion, Wilson made a ‘political mistake’ with the post.
It doesn’t matter what your politics are, if you’re on the left, if you’re on the right, if you’re a moderate, whoever you are, being associated with a photo that has the word Nazi in it, no matter what your intent is, is a bad idea. There is nothing but negative connotations from that word, and in my opinion, she needs to be more mindful and probably not post pictures like that because it is such an inflammatory word.
We asked Seattle’s Sandeep Kaushik, a political and public affairs consultant, to weigh in, too. He hosts two podcasts (‘Blue City Blues’ and ‘Seattle Nice’) that cover politics and civic issues, including nationally and in Seattle.
“I wouldn’t make too much of a big deal out of it,” Kaushik said, “I certainly would not think that she would be, you know, trying to endorse a sentiment advocating for violence or property destruction, or what have you.” He emphasized that public figures often get photographed with various individuals at events and doubted that Mayor Wilson noticed the sign’s message at the time. Kaushik suggested that the mayor’s communication team could have been more cautious in reviewing the images before posting them, but advised against overreacting to the situation.
Kaushik acknowledged that Wilson’s past as a self-avowed socialist and her previous support for defunding the police might lead to some suspicion about her current views. Still, he added that he thinks she has been pretty clear that, since she has been running for mayor, she no longer supports some of those previous views. “She’s out there at an anti-ICE protest,” Kaushik said, adding that many Seattle residents are unhappy with ICE’s operations in the city.
When asked about how the mayor should handle the situation, Kaushik recommended a straightforward approach. “She doesn’t need to make a big deal out of it,” he said, suggesting a simple statement clarifying that the mayor does not condone political violence. Kaushik also highlighted the tense political climate in cities like Seattle, exacerbated by the President’s recent comments about “fighting a war within” blue cities.
As Mayor Wilson navigates her new role, Kaushik noted the challenge of balancing her activist roots with the responsibilities of governing a city of over 13,000 employees. He expressed optimism about Wilson’s understanding of the differences between activism and governance, citing her acknowledgment of Seattle as a capitalist city despite her socialist label.
Dotzauer admitted it’s possible Wilson didn’t notice the Nazi language on the placard, but thinks now that it’s been brought to her attention, she should address it.
“She should answer that question, you know. And, if I were coaching her up, I’d say, Well, you know, I probably should pay a little more attention to that, okay, and not be overly defensive. And I didn’t, you know, maybe I didn’t catch it, I didn’t see it, or whatever, but she needs to be she’s going to be doing these things, which we all fully expect her to do. as the elected mayor of a very substantial city in America, she needs to be mindful what those images project,” Dotzauer said.
In her post on Sunday on X, Wilson wrote, “I joined today’s ‘ICE Out Vigil to grieve for Renee Nicole Good & others who have lost their lives to ICE. To mourn. And to organize, too. To everyone who makes Seattle home: this is your city, & you belong here. You deserve to be safe here. Together, we’ll fight to make it so.”
Last Thursday, Mayor Wilson issued a video statement on ICE activity in North Seattle and addressed the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis by federal agents. She wrote about it and posted her statement to YouTube.
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