Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell was widely criticized for suggesting Black Americans were not fully American.
The Kentucky Republican spoke to reporters Wednesday after two Democratic senators refused to go along with a plan to change Senate rule to overcome a GOP filibuster of voting rights legislation, and he was asked what he would say to voters of color who are concerned about their access to the polls before November's midterm elections.
"Well, the concern is misplaced," McConnell said. "Because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans."
McConnell's remarks were quickly condemned online.
READ: Mitch McConnell called out for offering a 'poison pill' that would stop voting reform
I need you to understand that this is who Mitch McConnell is.\n\nBeing Black doesn\u2019t make you less of an American, no matter what this craven man thinks.pic.twitter.com/Esk1NgIhD9— Charles Booker (@Charles Booker) 1642652354
Shockingly racist, even for McConnell.https://twitter.com/bse229/status/1484007688866566150\u00a0\u2026— Marty McKee (@Marty McKee) 1642653182
Holy shit:\n\nMitch McConnell: "African-American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as American voters." \n\nToni Morrison: "In this country, American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate."— Mary L Trump (@Mary L Trump) 1642652031
Sen. Mitch McConnell just said the quiet part out loud.\n\nHe doesn't think African Americans are Americans...the one word "Americans" is only reserved for White folks, huh, Mitch?https://twitter.com/ashtonpittman/status/1484022166215700483\u00a0\u2026— Russell Drew (@Russell Drew) 1642659600
Tell me you're a white supremacist without telling me you're a white supremacist.\n\nMitch McConnell: "African-American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as American voters."\n\nJesus fvcking Christ. A bit of overkill, Mitch.\n\nThose damn racist Dems!\n\n#DemVoice1pic.twitter.com/t5kzKffY1r— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@The Jewish Ginger Resister) 1642664540
Wait a minute! Say that again? African Americans are voting at the same rate as Americans? I have to bite my tongue on this one but I thought we were all Americans? I\u2019ve never been to Africa a day in my life. I don\u2019t hear anyone saying European, Scottish or Ireland American.— Phyllis Marshall (@Phyllis Marshall) 1642661138
Mitch McConnell would once again like you to know that he\u2019s a racist.https://twitter.com/stridinstrider/status/1484013191101362176\u00a0\u2026— drew olanoff (@drew olanoff) 1642679329
JUST IN: Mitch McConnell just told voters of color that their concerns about voter suppression are \u201cmisplaced\u201d and added: \u201cIf you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans.\u201d\n\nThe dogwhistle just became a foghorn.— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen) 1642654760
Even more exhausting if you are an African American. \n\nMitch McConnell is a racist.https://twitter.com/bellavegan5/status/1484100371421315073\u00a0\u2026— Love and Lemonade \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udde2 (@Love and Lemonade \ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf08\ud83e\udde2) 1642673178
Black people already know that Mitch McConnell is a racist but its still shocking to hear him say it out loud \n\nHe tells the world that African American people aren't Americans -"African American voters are voting in high percentages as Americans"\n\nYes, that racist fuck said ithttps://twitter.com/bse229/status/1484007688866566150\u00a0\u2026— A Black Woman..The End (@A Black Woman..The End) 1642679480
