An Oregon man who took the opportunity to say “Let’s go, Brandon!” to President Joe Biden on Christmas Eve is now playing the victim, claiming he has received numerous threats since. The seemingly innocent phrase “Let’s go, Brandon!” is an offensive catchphrase commonly used by conservatives to tell Biden off.  “And now I am being attacked for utilizing my freedom of speech,” the man told reporters.

Of course, while the man—identified as Jared Schmeck—argued there was nothing wrong with what he said, and claimed he was using his First Amendment right to say what he wants. That same rule didn’t apply to those who opposed what he said, of course. He played the victim card and cried crocodile tears when people called him out online for using the vulgar term on the call with President Biden.

“I understand there is a vulgar meaning to ‘Let’s go, Brandon,’ but I’m not that simple-minded, no matter how I feel about him,” Schmeck told The Oregonian. “He seems likes he’s a cordial guy. There’s no animosity or anything like that. It was merely just an innocent jest to also express my God-given right to express my frustrations in a joking manner. … I love him just like I love any other brother or sister.”

He even tried to justify his statement by saying he had no “disrespect” for Biden.

“I have nothing against Mr. Biden, but I am frustrated because I think he can be doing a better job,” he said. “I mean no disrespect to him.”

But the catch? The same Jared Schmeck told Steve Bannon that the election was not only stolen but also that Trump was his president—only hours after he claimed he was not a “Trumper” but rather a “free-thinking American and follower of Jesus Christ.” That, too, while wearing a MAGA hat.

Schmeck, a former police officer and electric company worker from Central Point, Oregon, said the phrase during a call on Dec. 24 during which he called the NORAD Santa tracker. According to FOX News, he calls the hotline every Christmas Eve, but while the call is normally automated, this year the president and first lady Jill Biden were taking calls together.

The first couple of minutes of the call went really well in which Schmeck laughed with the president. But the call ended in a different way. After the first lady and president wished him a wonderful Christmas, Schmeck replied: “Yeah, I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas, as well. Merry Christmas and let’s go, Brandon.”

Biden, who I am sure understood what it meant, especially with how trending the catchphrase is, was not fazed. “Let’s go, Brandon, I agree,” he said.

Of course, though not everyone was unfazed as he was.

You can’t expect to be able to say that you are “using your First Amendment rights” to say what you want without letting others do the same. And, anyway, that’s not what “freedom of speech” means. The First Amendment grants Americans the right to criticize their government and institutions without fear of imprisonment. It doesn’t mean you’re free to say whatever you like and suffer no consequences whatsoever.

Yes, Twitter users are hating on Schmeck—but if he is allowed to call the president and use a slur, they are allowed to express how they feel on their social media. Besides, what did Schmeck expect? I mean, he even posted the video on YouTube with the hashtag #letsgobrandon. If he didn’t want to trend, what did he want?

“Wow. #jaredschmeck is gonna trend for the first time in his life, and not in a good way,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another Twitter user wrote, “Imagine being a grown man so infantile and disrespectful that you say the slur ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ to the president in front of your own kids and dozens of others. This is a sad time.”

“Frustration on policies doesn’t make you use profanity at the POTUS in front of two of your children. You are no follower of Jesus Christ. You are an attention seeker who knew exactly what you were doing. Give him ALL the attention he was looking for,” another said.

And the comments continued. If fame is what he wanted, well he sure got it—maybe just not the type he was hoping for. Even his wife, Amanda, posted the video to her Instagram page, in which she captioned the post, “My husband may or may not have just told joe and jill Biden ‘let’s go Brandon’ on the phone,” with two laughing-crying face emojis.

Watch the video Schmeck posted below:

YouTube Video

While being threatened is unfortunate and no one should have to face such hate, Schmeck definitely knew what he was doing when he said the phrase.