Former Rep. Cori Bush’s campaign for a return to Congress has drawn renewed attention due to her association with Christopher Winston, a self-described Maoist activist and political organizer. Winston has garnered scrutiny for online rhetoric that includes urging leftists not to disavow Hamas or Hezbollah, promoting the idea of "unmaking" America, applauding the burning of the American flag, and questioning the use of political violence.
Winston, who has used the online pseudonym "BlackRedGuard," appeared alongside Bush in a recent social media post supporting her comeback bid in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. The former congresswoman's campaign did not respond to specific questions from Fox News Digital regarding Winston's role in the campaign, Bush's personal knowledge of him, or whether he was invited to the event.
In one social media post, Winston stated, "If you say sh-- like ‘I don’t support Hezbollah/Hamas’ and call yourself a leftist you lame. All power to all the resistance. Peace through the sword." He has also posted statements such as "Do not fix America. Unmake it," and "I applaud the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of the slavery and genocide which built America. It should always be desecrated in that way."
During a video reviewed by Fox News Digital, Winston, when asked about his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), stated, "Well, it’s obvious why I’m a Maoist in the DSA. There’s a lot of naive young white people to brainwash." At another point in the same video, he questioned, "What’s wrong with throwing Molotov cocktails at a police station?" When a co-host expressed concern about the legality of such actions, Winston replied, "That’s why we want the masses to do it."
Review of Winston's social media accounts also revealed past praise for Bush. In one post from 2023, he wrote, "Yeah, I’m a Maoist ultra with dreams of riding into power on a tank like Fidel and Che but in the meantime Cori Bush is the best congressperson right now and we need to back her." He also stated in May, "Cori Bush is the best of STL, and DSA," and last year, "Cori Bush is running for Congress again. STL-DSA voted to endorse her overwhelmingly. Help beat the AIPAC money that stole her seat here."
This is not the first time Bush's political associations have faced criticism. Her campaign has previously spent funds on a consulting firm linked to Rasha Mubarak, an activist with ties to Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s operation. Mubarak has connections to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and has advocated for abolishing the police and accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing" and "apartheid."
During her previous campaigns, Bush also received support from figures such as Linda Sarsour and Marc Lamont Hill, who have faced accusations of antisemitism. Bush, along with Reps. Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, has also been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza, and she and Tlaib were the only House members to vote against a bill to deny immigration benefits to Hamas members involved in the Oct. 7 attack. The White House has previously condemned comments made by Bush and other Squad members regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.