A city councilwoman in Oklahoma resigned this week after it was revealed that she told a supporter of President Donald Trump to kill herself.
Bree Montoya, who was a representative for Ward 3 in Norman, a city near Oklahoma City, found herself in a confrontation with a Facebook user in June regarding the size of the local ‘No Kings’ protests.
These demonstrations were part of a larger movement across the United States, coinciding with a US Army parade in Washington, D.C. to mark the military branch’s 250th anniversary.
When arguing about the protest in Norman, Montoya told a woman named Audra Abbott to ‘open a vein’, screenshots show.
She then upped the ante, saying: ‘Go on, put a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger (sic).’
Abbott spoke to KOKH and told the outlet she was shocked an elected official would carry herself this way.
‘I found out she was a city council member right after she posted, and I was shocked that an elected official would speak like that online,’ the user said.
Libs of TikTok, a prominent conservative social media account, brought Montoya’s remarks back into the spotlight last week. Just four days after, Montoya was pressured into resigning from her position.
Bree Montoya (pictured) resigned this week from the Norman City Council after vile comments of hers resurfaced
In this exchange on Facebook from June, Montoya tells a woman named Audra Abbott to kill herself
‘I have been serving this community since 2008 in various roles, but now I am ready to explore other interests. I am officially resigning from my position as council member for Ward 3,’ Montoya announced during the city council meeting on September 23.
Montoya also wrote an apology on her city council Facebook account several days before she resigned.
She also expressed remorse, stating, ‘I want to apologize for the comments posted from my personal Facebook account a few months back. My remarks were terrible, inappropriate, and unacceptable.’
She said the exchange between her and Abbott ‘got way out of hand’, adding that she was ‘completely out of line.’
‘I was immediately disgusted with myself and knew I had crossed an unimaginable line. I sent a direct apology soon after,’ she said. ‘To those I’ve hurt and are disappointed in me, I am truly sorry. I humbly ask your forgiveness.’
Still, Montoya stayed in her position for months after this incident, which led some to believe that the city council had swept this under the rug.
‘If it hadn’t have went viral with Libs of TikTok picking it up, I don’t think anything would have happened at all. I don’t think there would have been a public apology and I don’t think she would have resigned,’ Abbott told KOKH.
Chaiya Raichik, the woman who runs the Libs of TikTok account, celebrated Montoya’s resignation and gladly took the credit for ousting the liberal elected official.
Chaya Raichik, who runs the Libs of Tiktok brand, was the one to first spotlight Montoya’s comments. Raichik celebrated the liberal councilwoman’s resignation
Norman council member Helen Grant, who represents Ward 4, has also experienced backlash over a comment she made on social media about Charlie Kirk
Kirk was assassinated on September 10 while doing an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah
Norman councilwoman Helen Grant, who represents Ward 4, has also experienced backlash over a comment she made the day after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10.
In a Facebook comment, Grant called Kirk ‘a grifting narcissist’ and ‘a grotesque cheerleader’ for the MAGA movement.
Kirk, she said, ‘spewed whatever kinds of hate would sell.’ She added that he ‘will be a footnote that gets buried under the next guy who has been growing an audience who then steps up to fill the void’.
The Daily Mail has approached Grant for comment.
In light of these controversies, citizens present at the September 23 council meeting called for a code of conduct to be implemented for the councilors.
Layne Brown, a resident, also flamed Mayor Stephen Holman for not addressing Montoya’s comments until it became a media spectacle.
‘Sir, you were quiet about this entire situation and I think that just speaks to your integrity,’ Brown said.
