In case you missed it, Amy McGrath is running for Mitch McConnell's Senate seat in Kentucky. In her announcement, she said the current Senate Majority Leader is "everything that's wrong with Washington."
I’m running to replace Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate. Everything that’s wrong with Washington had to start somewhere—it started with him. With your help, we can defeat Mitch and defend democracy. Join us: https://t.co/c4b0WAp4ji pic.twitter.com/DNLjFkHGua
— Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) July 9, 2019
McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot, first entered politics last year to challenge Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY). She came close to unseating him, but couldn't get the job done. She acknowledged in interviews Tuesday morning that Kentucky is undoubtedly a pro-Trump state and that she isn't surprised about it. In fact, it sounded like she was even praising the president's agenda. She spoke warmly about his wanting to drain the swamp, to bring back jobs, and to bring down drug prices. But, she regretted, it's Republicans like McConnell who have hampered his efforts. So, she suggested she wouldn't get in his way.
"That's going to be my message...The things Kentuckians voted for Trump are not getting done," she said on MSNBC Tuesday morning.
Republicans were pretty confused.
Wait.. what?
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) July 9, 2019
Democrat Amy McGrath is apparently running on some kind of platform that Kentucky loves Trump she she’ll somehow work better with him than McConnell?
Again, bold strategy. #KYsen #KYpolitics pic.twitter.com/cy08T9r1f2
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is asking Kentuckians not to be fooled.
"She’s still the same person who called herself 'the most progressive person in Kentucky,'" National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Jesse Hunt tweeted.
Others pointed out that she once compared Trump's White House victory to the September 11 terror attacks.
"And that morning I woke up like somebody had sucker punched me. I felt like, ‘what has just happened to my country?’ The only feeling I can describe that's any close to it was the feeling I had after 9/11."
McConnell's team is "delighted" for the chance to expose it, they told Vox.
“Amy McGrath lost her only race in a Democratic wave election because she is an extreme liberal who is far out of touch with Kentuckians,” said Kevin Golden, McConnell’s campaign manager, in a statement to Vox. “Comparing President Trump’s election to 9/11, endorsing a government takeover of healthcare, and calling the wall ‘stupid’ is a heckuva platform that we will be delighted to discuss over the next 16 months.”