Posted on January 21, 2022

Mitch McConnell Says Black People Vote Just as Much as ‘Americans’

Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, January 20, 2022

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is trending on Twitter after making a comment related to voting rights that his critics say implies African Americans are not Americans.

Before a vote to move the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to the Senate floor failed Wednesday, McConnell was asked by a reporter about concerns among voters of color.

“Well the concern is misplaced, because if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans,” McConnell responded.

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“Being Black doesn’t make you less of an American, no matter what this craven man thinks,” former Kentucky Rep. Charles Booker tweeted.

“In one quote, he summarized the entire GOP worldview. They think it’s a White nation and anyone who isn’t White isn’t a true American,” tweeted another person.

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The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named for the late Georgia Democratic representative and civil rights icon, would restore Justice Department review of changes in election laws in states with a history of discrimination.

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In an opinion piece submitted to The Courier Journal, McConnell categorized the new legislation as a power grab by Democrats.

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In that piece, when differentiating between voters, McConnell wrote about Black and white voter turnout, not African American and American.