After being criticized for making a statement suggesting that African Americans are not Americans, Mitch McConnell said that calling him a racist was hurtful.
McConnell told reporters in Kentucky:
McConnell said this week, “Well, the concern is misplaced because if you look at the stats, African American voters are voting with as high a percentage as Americans.”
He tells KY reporters the ‘omitted word’ is all ‘is’.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 21, 2022
McConnell shouldn’t be surprised by the backlash. He has positioned himself as the face of the voting rights opposition in the Senate. Mitch McConnell spends his time supporting legislation that makes it harder for non-whites to vote, so he shouldn’t be surprised that no one has second-guessed what he said.
If Mitch McConnell doesn’t want to be seen as a racist, there is a simple and easy fix. The Senate Minority Leader could start doing what he did in 2006; McConnell could support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
It’s hard for anyone to believe McConnell’s claims that he’s not a racist when he’s changed his position in support of reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act.
McConnell’s hurt feelings mean nothing compared to the millions upon millions of Americans who could lose the right to vote. The Kentucky senator has done the right thing on voting rights in the past, and he could do it again.
The best way for McConnell to lead the way is by supporting voting rights legislation.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House press pool and congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and professional memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association
