Photo: US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, speaks to the media following a meeting with Republican Senators and US President Donald Trump to discuss the health care bill at the White House in Washington, DC, July 19, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnellis attempting to capitalize on an out-there attack that a fellow Republican made against him last year.
On Thursday, the official Twitter account of McConnell’s re-election campaign tweeted out a photo of their new “Cocaine Mitch” T-shirts, which feature a faceless illustration of the Kentucky politician on the front alongside the image of a fine white powdery substance. Meanwhile, the back of the shirt reads: “Team Mitch Cartel Member.”
“A year ago, a legend was born. Own your piece of history. #CocaineMitch,” theTweet read, while a follow-up message proclaimed, “Become an official member of the Cartel!”
Chao currently serves as Transportation Secretary underPresident Donald Trump, who urged voters at the time tovote against Blankenship, who ended up losing the primary election.
The Washington Postwent on to publish a lengthy article fact-checking the ad, reporting that many of the claims made within the video were false.
“Thanks for playing, Don,” the Tweet read.
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“Can you wake up your friends in Hawaii and have them buy this #CocaineMitch shirt? Hitting all 50 states is our last Infinity Stone,” they tweeted, sharing just one hour later that they had achieved their goal.
Campaign spokesman Josh Holmes went on to tell the Associated Press they hadalready gotten over 1,000 orders— and had decided to sell bumper stickers as well.
“Senator McConnell proves every election cycle that having a sense of humor is the most valuable and least abundant commodity in politics,” Holmes told the outlet. “He managed to turn a slanderous attack on his family into an online movement of his supporters.”
Meanwhile, others are condemning McConnell’s shirts.
“Republicans: drug users should be jailed,” tweeted Eric Conrad, who previously worked on campaigns for Democrats includingBarack Obama. “Also Republicans: drug kingpins are cool and edgy let’s pretend we’re a cartel.”
McConnell’s campaign responded on Twitter, writing, “If we sell enough #CocaineMitch shirts, we’ll buy you a sense of humor.”
In addition, anti-drug activist Tanya Meeks, who is from Lexington, Kentucky, criticized McConnell,tweeting: “The shirts aren’t just offensive, they’re a painful and cruel joke to those of us grieving a terrible loss or fighting desperately to save a loved one.” (Meeks’ 19-year-old son died from a heroin overdose in 2014.)
source: people.com
