McGrath ad uses GOP talking points to hit McConnell on China. He calls ad ‘racist.’
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign is calling a television ad released by former Marine Corps pilot Amy McGrath racist. The ad uses Republican talking points to criticize McConnell for being soft on China.
The ad — which aired in response to a McConnell ad where he showed violent imagery from protests in Portland and accused McGrath of being unwilling to criticize protesters — begins by talking about McGrath’s service in the military, where she dropped bombs in the Middle East, before pivoting to McConnell’s ties to China.
“Why is he smiling? His trade deals made China richer, their military stronger. They’re spying on us and they didn’t stop the coronavirus,” a narrator says. “Oh and Mitch made millions from China. 36 years is long enough.”
McConnell is married to Elaine Chao, the secretary of transportation. The claim that McConnell “made millions off China” potentially alludes to the fact that McConnell’s wealth increased significantly after he married Chao, who is the daughter of the founder of a major international shipping company.
A fact check from a similar ad by former Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes referenced McConnell’s finance disclosure forms, which show his net worth increased after he married Chao and how it jumped again in 2012 after the couple inherited money when Chao’s mother died.
“Amy McGrath’s latest ad is just racist, pure and simple,” said Kevin Golden, McConnell’s campaign manager. “Could anyone imagine this ad running in an election if Elaine Chao was born in Europe? This is a despicable attack on Senator McConnell’s wife whose family fled communism, earned their success through relentless hard work, and have lived the definition of the American dream.”
Terry Sebastian, McGrath’s spokesman, doubled down on the claims.
“Facts are stubborn things,” Sebastian said. “Stop hiding behind your staff; hold a news conference and tell us why you have sold us out to China.”
Earlier this week, McGrath called McConnell’s ad “ridiculous and over the top” and said he was “lying” about her willingness to stand up to violent protesters, she did not criticize him for painting largely peaceful protests as violent.
After George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers, protests spread through the country to raise awareness of racial justice and bring attention to concerns Black Americans have about being targeted by law enforcement, sometimes with deadly consequences.
The issue is particularly relevant in Kentucky, where Breonna Taylor was killed in her sleep by Louisville Metro Police Department officers who were executing a no-knock warrant of which she wasn’t the target.
While McConnell has put out statements defending peaceful protests, both in statements and campaign ads he has joined President Donald Trump in focusing more on looting at the protests that sometimes occurs after dark, a focus that critics say is an attempt to undermine the message of protesters and scare people in the suburbs where Trump appears to be losing ground politically.
McGrath has not been one of those critics, choosing instead to meet with Black Kentuckians in Lexington and Louisville instead of criticize McConnell’s messaging.
It fits with her campaign’s larger strategy for her Senate campaign, to create distance between McConnell and Trump, who won Kentucky by 30 percentage points in 2016 and remains popular.
Trump has been critical of China, to the point where his administration entered a trade war with the country as well as criticizing them for not responding soon enough to the coronavirus.
In his latest feud with China, Trump signed an executive order Friday that sanctioned the Chinese-owned app Tik Tok, which is popular among teenagers and college students. The order bans transactions between the owner of the company, ByteDance, and U.S. Citizens, citing security concerns because it collects data from users. It goes into effect in 45 days.
When asked whether she thought Trump should ban Tik Tok last week, McGrath said “I mean I don’t even know what Tik Tok is. I think it’s some kind of Facebook app or something.”
In her ad, McGrath uses Republican talking points about China against McConnell, while emphasizing her military credentials. Those talking points are similar to an ad aired by One Nation America, a PAC supporting McConnell, where the majority leader is praised for standing up to China.
“Now he’s holding China accountable for lying about the coronavirus,” a speaker in the ad says. “Senator McConnell is fighting to end our dependence on China and bring manufacturing jobs back to America.”
One Nation America shares staff and office space with the Senate Leadership Fund, according to the Des Moines Register. The Senate Leadership Fund is associated with McConnell.
McGrath’s campaign strategy alienated some voters in the primary, leading to a tight race with state Rep. Charles Booker. Golden, McConnell’s campaign manager, took a swipe at Democrats over the lack of diverse candidates in the Kentucky Democratic Party.
“Overt attacks on Elaine Chao’s heritage have been a familiar theme in previous campaigns from the washed up wing of Kentucky Democrats who still in 2020 cannot wrap their mind around actually nominating a person of color to represent their party,” Golden said.
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 3:00 PM with the headline "McGrath ad uses GOP talking points to hit McConnell on China. He calls ad ‘racist.’."
