During an interview with Michael Patrick Leahy of Tennessee Star, former State Department spokesperson under Mike Pompeo and current candidate for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional district, Morgan Ortagus, was asked about her newly minted status as a Tennessee resident.
At one point in the interview, Leahy challenged Ortagus to explain why she was not a "carpetbagger."
"The first [definition] is, 'A Northerner who went to the South after the Civil War and became active in Republican politics, especially so as to profiteer from the unsettled social and political conditions during Reconstruction,'" Leahy said, addressing Ortagus. "Now, the second is, 'a politician who takes up residence in a place and runs for office without having strong ties to the area.' My question is, does that second definition – a politician who takes up residence in a place and runs for office without having strong ties to the area – Does that apply to you? And if so, why, and if not, why not?"
Ortagus explained that first off, she's "not a politician" and hasn't spent her life pursuing political office.
"I’ve worked in the private sector. I’ve worked for President Trump," she said. "I’ve raised my hand to serve in the military. I got motivated to run for office without even any thought of what was happening in all of these races, simply because of what President Biden and Nancy Pelosi have done to our country in just a year."
During the interview, Leahy also gave Ortagus a pop quiz on her knowledge of the region she wants to represent -- which did not go too well:
Leahy: Here we go. What three interstate highways are located in the 5th Congressional District?
Ortagus: I’m a terrible driver. (Laughs) I don’t know that. I don’t drive anywhere that I go.
...
Leahy: One of the most famous NASCAR drivers living today lives in the 5th District and has a large auto dealership in Franklin. Who is that?
Ortagus: My husband is the car guy. He used to race. He knows all of the racing stuff.
...
Leahy: A rather well-known Confederate general – one whose name and history have been a source of enormous controversy in Tennessee the last few years – was born and raised in the community of Chapel Hill, in the 5th district. Who was he?
Ortagus: I don’t know.
...
Leahy: What county is Chapel Hill in?
Ortagus: I don’t know.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Ortagus before she officially made her bid for Congress.
“I am told the very strong and impressive Morgan Ortagus is exploring a run for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District,” Trump said in January. “I couldn’t be happier because she’s an absolute warrior for America First and MAGA!”
The endorsement resulted in "serious backlash," Politico reported, "with his supporters accusing him of spurning a staunch Republican ally who’s running."
Read the full interview over at the Tennessee Star.
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