George Gascón may be in his TikTok era, but his critics are far from impressed as they call for the departure of the “worst prosecutor” and accuse him of cashing in on the Menendez case.
The 70-year-old Los Angeles County district attorney is using the popular Gen Z social media platform to appeal to young voters, who recently demanded he review the Erik and Lyle Menendez case.
The Democrat, who is seeking re-election, enthusiastically hopped on Sabrina Carpenter’s espresso while pretending to type on a Dell laptop.
“I work late because I am a prosecutor,” he told the edited text in the video.
He captioned the post: ‘Can’t spell DIVA without DA.’
“This man has got to go!” wrote one TikToker, while another called him the “worst prosecutor ever.”
Not everyone was sulking about the prosecutor’s record, however, as one TikTok user noted: “Mr. Gascon!!! You know what we all want!!!!’
George Gascón is in his TikTok era! The 70-year-old Los Angeles County district attorney is using the popular Gen Z social media platform to appeal to young voters, who recently demanded he review the Erik and Lyle Menendez case.
‘Can’t spell DIVA without DA.’ The district attorney — who has been criticized for being “soft on crime” — even jumped on the “very conscious, very understated” trend last week, where he stressed to young voters that he is “paying attention” to women’s reproductive rights, wage theft, and more
Not everyone enjoyed Gascón’s attempts to connect with Gen Z, as they called him the “worst prosecutor ever” and told him to “go!”
The district attorney — who has been criticized for being “soft on crime” — even jumped on the “very conscious, very understated” trend last week, where he stressed to young voters that he is “paying attention” to women’s reproductive rights, wage theft, and more.
“See how I pay attention to kids in the juvenile system? Very thoughtful, very subdued,” he said in the video.
Gascón has been criticized over the years for decisions involving juvenile crimes, most notably the Hannah Tubbs case, which features a 26-year-old transgender child molester who was placed in a juvenile facility because the crime occurred when she was a minor.
Gascón has admitted that Tubbs may have received too lenient a sentence after he declined to prosecute her as an adult for the crime she committed as a male minor.
He also participated in the “I Notice Things Most People Ignore” trend, where he highlighted some of his platform’s values, including environmental justice, hate crimes, police accountability and the death penalty.
Yet most of his fans don’t seem to worry about these issues because they only have one thing on their mind: freeing the Menendez brothers.
‘Free the Menendez [brothers] and you got my vote!’ one TikTok user wrote under one of his videos.
“Please release the Menendez brothers and you will get all our votes again and again,” wrote another.
Many Gascon fans seem particularly interested in one topic: freeing the Menendez brothers
‘Free the boys!! Vote Gasco’n [sic]’ wrote a third.
“Free them, I beg you,” wrote a woman named Nicole.
“Re-examining the Menendez case and bringing justice to the boys. Very thoughtful, very understated,” wrote another.
A woman named Mikayla Rose hoped that the brothers would also be released, but hoped that Gascón would not use them as a political piece.
“If you don’t win, I really hope it doesn’t affect your decision for the brothers. They deserved better than to be pawns in a political game. Please do the right thing and free them,” she wrote.
One user even accused Gascón of rehashing the Menendez case simply to bolster his vote count for re-election.
“It appears that George Gascón is using the Menendez case and manipulating public opinion in order to win re-election. Why not [you] decide now? Why wait to evaluate after the elections?’
However, others were just happy to show their support for the DA, with one writing: ‘Diva, if I lived in Cali you would have my vote!!’
DailyMail.com has contacted the Gascón office for comment.
Another wrote: ‘We believe in you and know we can count on you 100%.’
A third simply wrote: “Let’s go sir!”
Gascón recently revealed new evidence that could see the Menendez brothers released while the family is set to hold a press conference.
Gascón publicly posted on Instagram a screenshot of a letter written by Erik Menendez to his cousin, Andy Cano, referencing severe and long-term abuse by his father Jose
One user even accused Gascón of rehashing the Menendez case simply to bolster his re-election vote count
Gascón recently revealed new evidence that could see the Menendez brothers released while the family is set to hold a press conference.
Gascón publicly posted on Instagram a screenshot of a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin Andy Cano, in which he referenced severe and long-term abuse by his father Jose.
The letter, first revealed by DailyMail.com, was written eight months before they murdered their parents.
It reads: ‘I tried to avoid Dad. It still happens Andy, but it’s worse for me now. I can’t explain it. He’s so fat I just can’t bear to see him. I never know when it’s going to happen and it’s driving me crazy.”
Gascón later deleted the Instagram post.
It comes as the Menendez family will host a press conference in Los Angeles today, where celebrities including Rose O’Donnell will speak in “a powerful show of unity” for the brothers.
Other fans simply showed Gascón support for his latest TikTok strategy
Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty, after their first trial was overturned. The brothers have never denied killing their parents by shooting them 14 times with 12-gauge shotguns in their $1 million Beverly Hills home in August 1989, when they were just 18 and 21.
But Lyle and Erik, now 53 and 56 years old, claimed they acted in self-defense. They said they were victims of lifelong sexual abuse by their father, a high-flying businessman who worked in various industries.
The brothers have a hearing on November 29.
The Menendez brothers aren’t the only high-profile case Gascón’s office is reevaluating as he faces re-election.
His office is also investigating new evidence against Marilyn Manson, who has been accused of sexual abuse by several women.
“In recent weeks, new evidence has emerged, adding to an already extensive dossier presented to our office by the LASD,” he said.
“It is our office’s responsibility to ensure that we have a complete view of the available admissible evidence before making a filing decision.”
Gascón is still trailing in the polls behind former US Attorney General Nathan Hochman (photo). Gascón trails Hochman by 24 points and only 20 percent of likely voters plan to re-elect the DA
“Senior staff have met with victims and our prosecutors remain in contact with the victims and their representatives throughout this process.”
Gascón said some of the alleged victims had asked him to discuss the case, but that would be inappropriate while the case was still under investigation.
Instead, he would meet with them after deciding whether to press charges.
Despite trying to draw on big-name cases, Gascón is still trailing former U.S. Attorney General Nathan Hochman in the polls. NBC Los Angeles.
Gascón trails Hochman by 24 points and only 20 percent of likely voters plan to re-elect the DA.
“The poll also shows that voters are concerned about crime, and that those concerned about crime are more likely to support Hochman,” USC professor Christian Grose told NBC Los Angeles.
DailyMail.com has contacted Hochman for comment.