DFL silences staffer who called USS Minneapolis-St. Paul 'murder boat'

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota DFL has stripped a staffer of his public communications duties after he referred to the naval ship USS Minneapolis-St. Paul as a “murder boat.”

William Davis, the deputy communications director for the state party, deleted the tweet and apologized Sunday. Numerous elected officials, including Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, criticized Davis’s comment.

“I would like to offer my sincere apologies for the tweet sent by one of our employees,” DFL Chairman Ken Martin said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “It was unacceptable and does not reflect my own feelings or those of the Minnesota DFL. The staffer who sent the tweet has apologized and deleted his Twitter account. Going forward, he will no longer be engaging in public-facing communications on behalf of our party.”

The future U.S. Navy warship was christened and launched into the water in Marinette, Wisconsin, this weekend. In response to a FOX 9 tweet about the news event, Davis made his controversial comment.

“But actually, I think it’s gross they’re using the name of our fine cities for a murder boat,” Davis wrote.

Walz, answering questions from reporters Tuesday, said he was “totally appalled” by Davis’s comment. Walz was in the Army National Guard.

Davis is the same DFL staffer that party officials briefly suspended without pay last fall after he suggested on Facebook that Republicans be brought to the guillotine after the November election.