ST. PAUL — Republican Minnesota Senate hopeful Karin Housley’s campaign said Monday that a 2009 Facebook post in which she compares Michelle Obama’s posture to that of a chimpanzee was being taken out of context.

Housley’s comments about the former first lady were one of a handful of controversial social media posts first reported by The Huffington Post. She made the posts long before running for statewide office against Democratic Sen. Tina Smith or the state Senate seat she’s held since 2013.

In a string of comments, Housley wrote that then-first lady Obama should “at least stand up straight.” After referencing a Ronald Reagan movie that features a chimpanzee, Housley continued: “I think even that chimp stood up straighter than Michelle. Uh-oh, someone is going to make a comment.”

Housley also targeted former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling her a “porker in a blue pantsuit” in response to a friend’s comment that Clinton “seems to be eating well.”