Right-wing pundit Allen West stated that President-elect Donald Trump’s tapped retired Marine Gen. James (Mad Dog) Mattis as Secretary of Defense to “exterminate Muslims,” according to a Facebook post.

In bold white letters, the hatemongering message blasted President Obama for firing Mattis “to please the Muslims” and that Trump will use his hawkish cabinet pick, Mattis, to commit mass genocide. The post, first shared just after midnight Saturday, spent hours accumulating scores of shares, likes and comments. It has since been deleted and Michele Hickford, a staffer for the one-time Florida lawmaker, took the blame for the Islamophobic meme.

“Last night I posted a meme without Col. West’s knowledge or consent which was inappropriate and crossed the line,” wrote Hickford, a writer and communications strategist for West. “I take full responsibility for this. It was wrong. I was wrong. It does not reflect Col. West’s beliefs.”(nydailynews.com)…[+]