Samuel Wurzelbacher, aka “Joe the Plumber,” was not shy about sharing his opinion. In fact, it was his opinion that made him famous in the first place. In 2008, Wurzelbacher questioned then-presidential candidate Barack Obama on his tax plan on the campaign trail, according to CNN. After this run-in with Obama, Wurzelbacher became a viral sensation and even joined Obama’s opponent John McCain’s campaign run.
Wurzelbacher’s look at various government policies rubbed certain people the wrong way, especially Democrats. But his political opinions weren’t the only thing that landed the activist in hot water. In 2013, Wurzelbacher was deemed a racist by many after he posted a controversial statement to his website, per the Daily Mail. The activist wrote that wanting a “white Republican president doesn’t make you a racist, it just makes you American.” The article insinuated there was no way to criticize Obama as a white American without being deemed a racist because America had never had an African American president before. Wurzelbacher’s opinion didn’t sit well with many, as the activist faced tons of backlash and was accused of being racist.
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However, Wurzelbacher stood by his opinion and revealed that he copied the article from an African American man, per the Daily Mail. He shared on Facebook, “Let no chance to find a boogey man in a non-racist’s closet go by without first taking time to blame a white guy for repeating something a black guy said…about a black guy.”
