Myrtle Beach Mayor candidate says viral photo with Capitol mob participant is weeks old
A photo of a candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor and a man who stormed the U.S. Capitol being shared on social media is weeks old, the nominee told The Sun News.
Gene Ho—known as a photographer for President Donald Trump—announced his candidacy for Myrtle Beach Mayor last year. On Wednesday, Ho was in Washington D.C. for the rally’s in support of Trump and against the Electoral College Win for President-Elect Joe Biden.
On Thursday, a photo of Ho and a man dressed in Vikings-like gear was being shared on social media. The man in the Vikings-like gear was in numerous photos inside the U.S. Capitol as he and other rioters rushed the building, destroying windows and forcing Congress to evacuate. The man has been identified as Jake Angeli by media reports.
Ho said the picture was taken weeks ago at a Jericho March in Washington, D.C. He provided a screenshot from Angeli’s Facebook page, which has since been taken down, showing a Dec. 12 timestamp. Ho said Angeli asked him for the photo after Ho spoke at the march.
“I have no connection with this guy,” Ho said.
Ho said he was shocked by the images from inside the Capitol and that he created his mayoral campaign on ideas of positivity and nonviolence.
“I was shocked at what was going on cause it was peaceful [until then],” Ho said.
The candidate posted Thursday on Facebook about the viral photo. He also posted Wednesday about his views about the rally and the mob.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 9:09 PM.
