via X @charliekirk11
CV NEWS FEED // A retired military officer and former congressional candidate destroyed a “holiday Satanic display” at the Iowa State Capitol Thursday.
According to the Republic Sentinel, Michael Cassidy of Mississippi “turned himself into police officers present in the Iowa Capitol, who confirmed that the Satanic Temple of Iowa desires to press charges.”
The Sentinel clarified that “Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.”
Cassidy, a Christian, said that he took action to tear down the display in order to “awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government.”
“The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment,” he told the Sentinel.
“Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water,” Cassidy said.
“I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged,” he added. “My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.”
Shortly after the news of his actions broke, Cassidy took to X (formerly Twitter) to quote the Bible verse 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote on X that his organization “stand[s] with Satan Slayer [Cassidy], and is “proud to pledge $10,000 to his legal defense fund.”
“Not all heroes wear capes,” commented the popular X account End Wokeness.
“Death to Satan,” wrote conservative Catholic political commentator Jack Posobiec in a post featuring a picture of the fallen idol.
Cassidy is a Harvard graduate and retired pilot for the Navy. He ran for Congress last year, losing in the Republican primary to incumbent Rep. Michael Guest, R-MS.
He also ran for the Mississippi State House this year, winning the Republican primary, but losing to a Democrat in the general election.
