RALEIGH — Rep. Julie von Haefen (D-Wake) drew criticism for a post she made to social media that included a photo showing a depiction of a beheaded President Donald Trump with imagery of a guillotine.

The Wake County Democrat had posted the image in a video on her Instagram account, taken from the “No Kings” protest in Raleigh on June 14.
The image gained attention, and she later admitted to editing it out of the video. She has since made her official Instagram account “private.”
Additionally, von Haefen also deleted her X account, which may be a violation of state records and social media retention laws for elected officials.
House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) issued a statement on X.
“On the same weekend that a gunman in Minnesota targeted state lawmakers in an act of political violence, and after two attempted assassinations of President Trump within the past year, Representative von Haefen (D-Wake) shared an image of a “protest sign” that glorifies violence against her political opponents-including President Donald Trump,” wrote Hall.
“Her disgraceful behavior fails to meet the standards expected from House members and sets a dangerous precedent in an already volatile political climate,” Hall wrote. “I am examining next steps with our legislative attorneys to ensure this behavior does not continue.”
Attempts to reach von Haefen for comment were unsuccessful.
Around 3 p.m. on Sunday, von Haefen issued a statement on her official Facebook page, which did not include an apology but instead addressed the deletion of the “inappropriate” image.
“Yesterday, I posted a video on social media containing crowd photos from the No Kings protest in Raleigh. One of the images of a protestor holding a sign was inappropriate, and I later edited the video to remove the photo,” von Haefen wrote.
“Let me be clear: I condemn political violence in all forms,” wrote von Haefen. “My focus remains on bringing people together and fighting for the values that matter to North Carolinians. Like so many, I was horrified by the violence in Minnesota. There is no place for that kind of extremism in our democracy, no matter the target, no matter the party.”
North State Journal sent a request for comment to the North Carolina Democratic Party Caucus (NCDPC), which responded by providing von Haefen’s written statement.
When prompted for a comment specifically from the NCDPC, the reply received was, “We have no further comment on the matter.”
North State Journal did not receive a direct response to our request comment from N.C. Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton about the incident and the calls for von Haefen to resign.
Clayton posted a statement to X which did not address or mention von Haefen directly but instead called attention to the past rhetoric of former Lt. Governor Mark Robinson and former state superintendent candidate Michele Morrow.
“This manufactured outrage over a photo in a reel to take advantage of the recent tragedy in Minnesota rings incredibly hollow,” Clayton wrote in the statement. “And is a desperate attempt to change the narrative after tens of thousands of North Carolinians who took to the streets this weekend to denounce their agenda.”
Republicans had strong reactions to von Haefen’s post, including the NCGOP, which wrote on X that von Haefen should resign her seat.
“After sharing an image calling for the execution of the Democratically elected President of the United States, Rep. Von Haefen has quietly deactivated her Twitter account,” said Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) in an X post.
Jones added, “Deleting your public profile isn’t accountability — it’s hiding. North Carolinians deserve better.”
“I cannot fathom the thought of a state legislator glorifying political violence *hours* after two state legislators and their spouses were shot in their own homes,” wrote Rep. Mike Schietzelt (R-Wake) on X. “Unconscionable.”
Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake) also responded on X, writing, “This is why reasonable people are leaving the Democrat Party in NC.”
“This is a sitting state legislator who is publicly applauding the beheading of President Trump just hours after a state legislator in our country and her spouse were murdered in cold blood. Horrible,” wrote Paré.
Freshman lawmaker Rep. Wyatt Gable (R- Onslow) called von Haefen’s post “absolutely disgusting” and said, “there is no place for things like this anywhere.”
“Remember this come Election Day — are these really the people you want making decisions for NC?” Gable asked.
Near the end of conclusion of business on the House floor on Tuesday, von Hafen was recognized to offer a short apology.
“This weekend, I shared a video montage on Facebook that included an image that was inappropriate. I realized that quickly and took the post down,” said von Haefen. “And I want to apologize today.
“I apologize to members of the House, to my constituents, and to any North Carolinian who is offended by what I posted. I’m sorry. Every one of us needs to take accountability for when we make mistakes. I am taking that accountability today, and I appreciate the opportunity to do so.”
Hall thanked von Haefen for her remarks. He then offered remarks referencing the murder and attempted murder of lawmakers in Minnesota as “an example of what can happen when folks sort of go off the rails.”
“And as Rep. von Haefen has said, and I think we all can remember, we need to watch what we say in this body,” said Hall “Because one of the things you learn here is that you have the ability to make national news if you post something you shouldn’t online, and what that ends up doing is putting not only you and yourself in danger, but other members of this body.
“So the Chair expects, as you all expect yourselves, to hold yourselves to a higher standard as members of this House, as role models for the folks in your district, because people pay attention, for better or worse sometimes, to the things that come out of this body.
“I will watch those things,” Hall said, reiterating to members to hold themselves to a higher standard. “As those things are violated. I will take appropriate action as necessary.”