(TEXAS TRIBUNE) -- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick drew outrage Sunday morning for social media posts that said "man reaps what he sows" hours after a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla.
The posts were pre-scheduled, representatives for the lieutenant governor said; Patrick and other statewide officials usually share Bible verses on social media on Sunday mornings.
But the timing couldn't have been worse. On Facebook and Twitter, Patrick shared a graphic with a Bible verse that read: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." The posts came amid news that 50 people died in the Orlando shooting, making it the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Both posts had been removed by about 11 a.m. Patrick spokesman Allen Blakemore released a statement roughly an hour later saying the posts had been scheduled since last Thursday.
Full statement from @AllenBlakemore, a @DanPatrick adviser, on Patrick's social media posts earlier this morning: pic.twitter.com/EoTxcDjij4
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) June 12, 2016
“Regarding this morning’s scripture posting on social media, be assured that the post was not done in response to last night’s tragedy,” the statement reads in part.
“We regret the unfortunate timing of these posts and as everyone to join us in praying for the people of Orlando in this awful time.”
The social media posts were widely condemned online as insensitive. The Texas Democratic Party called on Patrick to "apologize immediately."
Texas Democrats mourn those lost & call on Dan Patrick to apologize #txlege #Orlando#pulse https://t.co/c4LdsN03tg pic.twitter.com/l02F95QoUq
— Texas Democrats (@texasdemocrats) June 12, 2016
Patrick posted a lengthy statement to his Facebook account early Sunday afternoon:
