“Today, Colin Dunlap said we’re all soft, we’re overreacting, our forefathers used to be outside in the smog and smoke a pack on top of that. And to that I say, you’re right Colin. You should go outside and a smoke a pack on a bridge – and then jump.”
Over weekend >100 Allegheny County workers reached out to me appalled by this and administration- but afraid to speak out for fear of retribution.
Particularly those in Emergency Services, where suicide recently impacted their staff. They are furious. pic.twitter.com/R4WiZUtzDT— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) July 19, 2026
Gardner backtracked from those remarks Monday.
“I made a tasteless comment out of frustration, and I apologize for my lapse in judgement,” Gardner said in the statement released by the county.
“Suicide should not be a topic that is joked about or used to insult others. My comments were out of line, and I especially apologize to the employees of Allegheny County that I did not hold myself to a higher standard while representing the county.”