Richmond’s Mayor says the city has received calls and emails expressing concern over a city commissioner hours after she posted a selfie on social media showing her at large Pro-Trump rally in D.C. on Wednesday.
Mayor Robert Blythe says he has not been in contact with City Commissioner Krystin Arnold. On Wednesday, Arnold posted a photo of herself on Facebook within a large crowd of Trump supporters in Washington D.C.
In a Facebook comment, Arnold said it was difficult not to cry when seeing quote - “thousands of patriots coming together.” The same afternoon Pro-Trump protesters and extremists stormed the Capitol Building as Congress was in the process of certifying the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Arnold also indicated she was well and safe while in DC on Facebook. “Thank you all for your concerns. We are safe and well and traveling home after a peaceful day on our part,” she wrote.
Shortly after reports surfaced that the rally descended into rioting, Arnold deleted her Facebook page.
Blythe says people called his office expressing disappointment and some asked for her resignation.
“But the citizens of our community are very disappointed, as she is a new Commissioner. And I say disappointed, because that's what the emails and calls are saying to me. That is not an assessment on my part,” Blythe said.
“It is unfortunate that her participation, also connected her with, no matter what one's politics happened to be, but connected her with what is one of the as it's been termed one of the darkest days in our country.”
Blythe added that the city commission does not have the authority to look into the matter. If a commissioner is accused of violating a Kentucky statute, the General Assembly would investigate. Arnold indicated on her Facebook page that she left the Trump rally before the storming of the Capitol began. She has not responded to repeated requests for comment on this story.
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