Tyler Cherry, who was recently promoted to associate communications director for President Biden, has issued an apology for some controversial tweets from his past.

The tweets, which have resurfaced and sparked significant debate, included a particularly contentious post comparing police forces to “slave patrols,” Newsweek reported.

“The controversy erupted shortly after Politico reported Cherry’s promotion from his previous role as communications director at the Interior Department,” Newsweek wrote. “Screenshots of tweets dating back to 2014 and 2015 began circulating online, revealing strong criticisms of law enforcement, calls for the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and statements supporting anti-Israel organizations.”

“In one of the purported tweets from 2015, posted during the unrest following Freddie Gray’s death in police custody, Cherry allegedly wrote, “Praying for #Baltimore, but praying even harder for an end to a capitalistic police state motivated by explicit and implicit racial biases,” the magazine wrote.

Mr. Cherry’s appointment to his new role brought increased scrutiny to his social media history. Over the past week, the resurfacing of these posts has led to a heated discussion online. Addressing the controversy, Mr. Cherry expressed regret over his previous statements, acknowledging that the language he used was inappropriate.

“Past social media posts from when I was younger do not reflect my current views. Period. I support this Administration’s agenda — and will continue my communications work focused on our climate and environmental policies,” he wrote.

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