McConnell Under Fire for Comment About ‘Black American Voters’ and ‘Americans’
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is facing criticism after he apparently slipped up while arguing that minority voters’ concerns about not having access to the ballot box are “misplaced.” The Republican…
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is facing criticism after he apparently slipped up while arguing that minority voters’ concerns about not having access to the ballot box are “misplaced.”
The Republican leader was asked what his message was to voters of color who are “concerned that without the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, they’re not going to be able to vote in the midterms.”
“Well, the concern is misplaced, because if you look at the statistics, Black American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans,” McConnell responded.
He added, “ a recent survey, 94% of Americans thought it was easy to vote. This is not a problem. Turn out is up.”
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https://twitter.com/Marie4Congress/status/1484232571684851716
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A spokesperson for McConnell told CNN the senator meant to say “other Americans” instead of simply “Americans.”
And in a statement to the network, McConnell said he has “consistently pointed to the record-high turnout for all voters in the 2020 election, including African-Americans.”