Jerry DeLemus crawfishes: ‘I didn't really even care about holding’ Draw Muhammad contest
Jerry DeLemus, the would-be “constitutional sheriff” who created a stir earlier this year vowing to stage a “Draw Muhammad” event has retreated.
In an exclusive interview with Foster’s, DeLemus announced he is no longer planning to hold the event that would have featured drawings of the Prophet Muhammad, images that many Muslims consider blasphemous.
“I didn’t really even care about holding the event,” he told Foster’s. “I really just wanted to get my message out there and have people talk about it, and I think I did that.”
The planned event was modeled after a contest held in Texas, which was attacked by two gunmen who were shot dead by security officers. ISIS later claimed responsibility for that attack.
When DeLemus originally proposed the New Hampshire event, he said his goal was “to push back against those that are trying to impose Sharia and or believe that it is justified to kill those that don’t accept their beliefs.”
“If we fail to push back then we are losing ground,” he wrote on Facebook. “The ground we are losing has been paid for with the blood of millions of Americans on battlefields around the world. I in good conscience cannot stand by and do nothing to defend our way of life.”
DeLemus is a former Republican candidate for Strafford County Sheriff and leader of the Rochester 9/12 Project. He made headlines last year when he commanded the armed militia supporting rancher Cliven Bundy in his confrontation with federal officials.
The former marine from Rochester was named to Ted Cruz’ New Hampshire leadership team earlier this year but jumped ship in July to support Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination and was named co-chair of the New Hampshire Veterans for Trump coalition.
Trump is on the record ripping into Pamela Geller for hosting the event in Texas that resulted in two deaths. “The last thing we need is an obnoxious blowhard like Geller to go out and start trouble when there’s no reason for it…” Trump told Fox News. “This has nothing to do with free speech, this is taunting and all it does is cause trouble.”