The top legal reporter for Politico.com apparently suggested Tuesday a person can be legally shot for asking questions at the doorsteps of businesses.

“At some point, the amateur effort to knock on doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand-your-ground laws,” said a X message from Josh Gerstein, Politico’s “Senior Legal Affairs Reporter.”

The threat was likely aimed at independent journalist Nick Shirley, who has precipitated a storm in the mainstream media about large-scale fraud and corruption by ethnic Somali business owners in Minnesota. Many establishment sites, including Politico, have ignored or downplayed the report, which has been widely reported on mainstream media sites and has reached more than 100 million views on X.

Amid the storm of condemnation and more than 10,000 hostile comments, Gerstein later defended himself with a second message, saying:  “To observe that something is likely to happen or there’s a serious risk of it happening is not to advocate for it happening.”

The White House’s RapidResponse47 social media account described Gerstein as a “sicko.”

“Hey politico, come get your guy who is advocating the murder of American journalists,” said a response from political activist Chris Rufo.

“imagine the insanity needed to say ‘you could be shot for knocking on the doors of a legitimate business during a time period required to be open by your license and saying ‘I’d like to enroll my son here,'” said a response from an account named “Murray Rothbard.”

The reaction to Gerstain’s tweet is unsurprising. Many progressives have made death threats against mainstream Americans since Trump was first elected in 2016. But these threats are multiplying — and a sniper murdered conservative leader Charlie Kirk in September.

RELATED — Erika Kirk: We Can’t Save a Country We’re Too Afraid to Defend

Politico is a pro-establishment media outlet in Washington, DC. It is owned by a pro-establishment German firm, Axel Springer SE.

“@politico appears perfectly fine with its reporters insinuating that journalists simply doing their jobs could lawfully be shot and killed,” responded Tennessee Rep. Jeremy Faison.

“I’m sorry? Wut? Are you advising Somalis to shoot amateur reporters for knocking on their door?” answered Fox News columnist David Marcus.

“You would think a ‘Senior Legal Affairs Reporter’ for POLITICO would know better than to tweet something inciting violence against federal agents,” responded the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.