Josh Gerstein, a journalist who works at the liberal outlet Politico, tweeted something on Monday night that is raising a lot of eyebrows.
In response to the explosive report from independent journalist Nick Shirley about Somali fraud at daycare centers in Minnesota, Gerstein tweeted:
“At some point, the amateur effort to knock on doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand-your-ground laws”
The tweet is still up:
At some point, the amateur effort to knock on doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand-your-ground laws
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) December 30, 2025
Who knew that liberal journos support ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws? Of course, Minnesota, being controlled by Democrats, has no such laws, but still.
Isn’t it amazing how journalists always rush to attack the person reporting the wrongdoing in a situation like this rather than calling out, you know, the wrongdoing itself?
People were quick to push back on Gerstein’s tweet. See some of the responses below:
The senior legal affairs reporter for Politico suggesting “stand your ground” laws means shooting people who knock on the doors of a daycare.
My God. https://t.co/6RWhN2XILo pic.twitter.com/LSX4ViXjwR
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) December 30, 2025
Babe wake up new entry on the It’s Not Happening meme just dropped https://t.co/PctgfxI3Uw pic.twitter.com/7LkSXRnXC2
— Jarvis (@jarvis_best) December 30, 2025
WTF?! Politico’s “Senior Legal Affairs Reporter” just suggested “daycare centers” might be justified in SHOOTlNG citizen journalists for knocking on their doors
Legacy media is FULL of deranged freaking lunatics.
They’re pissed off that we’ve taken their power away.
Losers. pic.twitter.com/80pOkQuv7b
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 30, 2025
Stand your ground isn’t castle doctrine, and castle doctrine doesn’t apply to someone just knocking on your door in a peaceful manner.
But we have arrived at journos fantasizing about killing people who uncover welfare fraud. https://t.co/51a6XIRwPK
— Sunny (@sunnyright) December 30, 2025
1) Stand Your Ground does not permit the murder of door knockers
2) MN is not a SYG state
3) in no world should Somali fraudsters be encouraged to murder taxpaying US citizens for doing the journalism well-funded reporters refuse to do https://t.co/VOHWNcmD84— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 30, 2025
Lib reporters will literally call for people to be murdered to avoid talking about a left-wing fraud scandal. https://t.co/R0CpK2wEK0
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) December 30, 2025
Liberals really have no idea what “Stand Your Ground” laws actually are do they? https://t.co/2NnjxajAOD
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) December 30, 2025
Gerstein followed up with this meaningless tweet:
To observe that something is likely to happen or there’s a serious risk of it happening is not to advocate for it happening
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) December 30, 2025
Some people have suggested that Gerstein should be fired over this but we all know that’s unlikely to happen.
It does serve as a good reminder of who the people in the journalist class really are.
Mike LaChance has been covering higher education and politics for Legal Insurrection since 2012. Since 2008 he has contributed work to the Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller, Breitbart, the Center for Security Policy, the Washington Free Beacon, and Ricochet. He has also written for American Lookout, Townhall, and Twitchy.
You can email Mike LaChance here, and read more of Mike LaChance’s articles here.
