NEPTUNE CITY - Mayor Robert Brown is facing a backlash over a meme he shared on Facebook attacking liberals.

Brown, a Republican, described the post as a "proud to be American post" that "someone added to it and played games with it and turned it into a bunch of nonsense."

Brown shared a post at 8:49 p.m. Saturday from a group called the "Friends of Second Amendment Salt Lake," which posts political memes.

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The one in question shows a picture of Clint Eastwood with white text over it saying, "Every morning I wake up and feel so grateful that I'm not a brainwashed, anti-American, liberal piece of sh--."

"That post was 100 percent 'I.' I’m glad that’s not what I am," he said. "I didn't lie or say anything about anyone else."

Brown deleted the post Monday afternoon.

Brown initially said he "liked" the post, a social media action that typically indicates approval of an idea. When presented with information that he had shared the post, Brown replied, "Well, I'm not that good at Facebook."

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Democratic Councilwoman Pamela Renee called it "unnerving" that the mayor would post such a meme and said the sentiment was "following in the footsteps of the national GOP."

Renee said local leaders should be focused on fixing the problems facing borough residents regardless of their politics.

"Once we get elected, the partisanship needs to stop," she said. "We as Democrats want to bring peace and civility back to Neptune City so we can get along."

It's not the first time local politicians have found themselves in hot water over a social media post, which you can watch in the video at the top of the page.

Ocean Township Deputy Mayor Rob Acerra was accused of sexism in 2017 when his Facebook account posted a wobbly-legged chicken wearing high heels with the words "hot mess" on an online invite for a Woman's Equality Day event hosted by his then-political opponents, District 11 Assembly members Joanne Downey and Eric Houghtaling.

Acerra denied the image came from his Facebook page.

Twitter led to the downfall of Joseph DiBella, then a Brookdale Community College trustee.

DiBella was criticized in 2016 after a series of racist tweets were "liked" by his account. DiBella claimed his Twitter account was hacked; however, a Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office investigation found no evidence of hacking.

DiBella went on leave from the unpaid position, then resigned shortly before the prosecutor's investigation was made public.

Susanne Cervenka: @scervenka; 732-643-4229; scervenka@gannettnj.com