A controversial picture has resurfaced of Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman’s family posing with an anime character who’s best known for enslaving a child.
Now, Republicans and anti-grooming activists are outraged.
The picture was originally posted by Fetterman back in April 2019.
The Washington Free Beacon has been told by experts on the anime that the individual wearing the mask is cosplaying as Elias Ainsworth from the Japanese manga series The Ancient Magus’ Bride.
tbc this is NOT me in the mask. I swear, I was in Blair County. You can be sure because, quite frankly, the head isn’t cut off. 🙄🙄 pic.twitter.com/nVHJk1YlMr
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) April 14, 2019
According to Fetterman, he was in Blair County, PA during the time when the picture was taken at the Tekko anime convention.
Regardless, however, many are raising questions about his parenting given the fact that he allowed his children to be exposed to such a controversial character.
The Free Beacon reviewed blog posts on the series, which suggest that it is extremely problematic and concerning due to its depiction of the relationship between “a seven-foot-tall humanoid with an animal skull for a head” and its captive, a 15-year-old girl purchased at a slave auction.
One review in particular perfectly describes the numerous red flags in the controversial series:
“Chise and Elias could have been terrific characters in their own right but their relationship is marred by their creepy creators’ bad writing,” wrote tumblr user juneboba. “So many things Elias says reeked of things predators actually say to their victims and romanticizing it is gross. He even admits outright that he’s grooming Chise and ‘raising’ her to be perfect for his use.”
Unfortunately, this resurfaced disgusting image is only the most recent in a string of scandals for Fetterman.
One of the most notable incidents was Fetterman holding an innocent black jogger at gunpoint in 2013, which sparked overwhelming criticism.