Senator David Perdue (R-GA), who is locked in a tight reelection race, decided he’d resort to disgusting racist dog whistles during remarks he made Friday evening at a rally for President Donald Trump in Macon, Georgia, Mediaite reports:
“The most insidious thing that Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden are trying to perpetrate, and Bernie and Elizzbeth and Kamala — Kah-ma-la or Kah-mah-la or Kamalamalamala, I don’t know.”
David Perdue is just gross.
He mispronounced @KamalaHarris‘ name just now warming up the stage for @realDonaldTrump to score race-baiting, cheap political cheers. pic.twitter.com/kiLmn8682A
— Miryam Lipper (@MiryamLipper) October 16, 2020
The correct pronunciation of Harris’ name, as she noted in her 2019 memoir, is “comma-la,” which means “lotus flower.” A lotus grows underwater and its flower rises above the surface of the water. The lotus is symbol of great significance in Indian culture. Harris’ mother was of Indian descent.
People pronounce my name many different ways. Let #KidsForKamala show you how it’s done. pic.twitter.com/7QoQGN0B4k
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 24, 2016
Nikema Williams, chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, slammed Perdue’s mispronunciation of Sen. Harris’ name, noting:
“Senator Perdue’s intentionally disrespectful mispronunciation of Senator Harris’s name is a bigoted and racist tactic straight from President Trump’s handbook. He owes Georgians an apology for his offensive display.”
Perdue’s Democratic challenger, Jon Ossof — who is leading in the most recent polls, also criticized his opponent:
My opponent, GOP Sen. David Perdue of anti-Semitic attack ad infamy, just mocked Sen. Harris’ name as “Kamala-mala-mala-whatever” at a Trump rally.
We are so much better than this. pic.twitter.com/9AvoQK4RdN
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) October 16, 2020
Perdue got significant blowback on social media for his remarks, too:
Yeahhh that says a lot more about Perdue than Harris https://t.co/bKoZCK7srq
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) October 16, 2020
Perdue and Harris have been colleagues in the Senate for three years — even serving on the sane budget committee together — but I’m sure this is an accident and not racist pandering from a desperate politician. https://t.co/VGDvWIDZqw
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) October 16, 2020
Safe to say, Sen. Perdue has served in the Senate with Sen. Harris long enough that it’s likely he does know how to actually pronounce her name… https://t.co/by5gdcGCwZ
— stephen fowler (@stphnfwlr) October 16, 2020
Your macaca moment for 2020. This is not going to work out well for Perdue… https://t.co/7xgOeDJCVs
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) October 16, 2020
Rather than apologize, the Perdue campaign released a tepid statement:
“Senator Perdue simply mispronounced Senator Harris’ name, and he didn’t mean anything by it. He was making an argument against the radical socialist agenda that she and her endorsed candidate Jon Ossoff are pushing, which includes the Green New Deal, Medicare-for-all, raising taxes, and holding up COVID relief for the people of Georgia.”
Lies and blatant bullshit. That’s what Republicans stand for in 2020.
Featured Image Via NBC News
