From the McGrath campaign: McConnell Lying to Distract from His Failures

Berry Craig

06 Aug, 2020

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Mitch McConnell’s latest TV ad is another predictable attempt to deflect from his failures in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. He blatantly misrepresents the facts about where retired Marine Lt. Col. Amy McGrath stands because it’s the only way to distract from the truth about him.

TV Ad Fact Check

FACT: McGrath Criticized Federal Agents For Going After “Peaceful” Protestors And Emphasized That She Did Not Condone “Any Kind Of Destruction Of Property”

WPSD: McGrath: “Protests Should Always Be Peaceful And If There Is Any, I Certainly Do Not Condone Any Kind Of Destruction Of Property Or Anything Like That.” WPSD reported, “McGrath was also asked about the recent unrest and violence taking place in several major U.S. cities, like Portland, Oregon. She criticized the federal government for sending in federal agents to Portland, and called the situation a peaceful protest, despite reports from Portland police of a riot that broke out in the city just last night. ‘What's happening in Portland is peaceful protesting, and unfortunately we have federal agents sent in that, from what I can tell, you know, are tear gassing peaceful protesters,’ McGrath said, ‘Protests should always be peaceful and if there is any, I certainly do not condone any kind of destruction of property or anything like that.’” [WPSD, 7/27/20]

FACT: McGrath Defended State and Local Police, Saying It Was “Un-American” To Deploy Federal Agents Against State And Local Governments Wishes and that Local Police Are Best Equipped To Handle Protests

July 2020: McGrath Said It Was “Un-American” To Deploy Federal Agents Against State And Local Wishes And WKMS Reported That McGrath “Does Not Condone Any Destruction Of Property Or Violence In The Demonstrations.” WKMS reported, “McGrath said the federal government is mismanaging the executive branch’s response to the BLM protests. ‘What’s happening in Portland is peaceful protesting,’ McGrath said. ‘Unfortunately, we have federal agents being sent in that are, from what I can tell, tear-gassing peaceful protestors. The problem here is that the local communities, the local police forces, the state police forces did not ask for federal help here.’ McGrath called the deployments ‘un-American.’ She also said she does not condone any destruction of property or violence in the demonstrations. She said local police departments are best equipped to handle any crime resulting from the protests.” [WKMS, 7/24/20]

FACT: McGrath Has Said “We Need Police Forces, We Need To Have Our Communities Be Able To Feel Safe”...

Spectrum News: Amy McGrath: “I Believe We Need Police Forces, We Need To Have Our Communities Be Able To Feel Safe.” “So there are things that need to be done but at the same time, I believe we need police forces, we need to have them, we need to have our communities be able to feel safe so I think we have to have leaders that want to tackle this issue and get it done and I also think we need to have leaders to tackle the underlying racial social injustice in America, and I'm talking about the inequality, I'm talking about the gaps in major gaps in education, major gaps in health care.” [Spectrum News, 6/15/20]

...While McConnell’s Refusal To Offer Aid To State And Local Governments Puts Police Departments Across The Nation At Risk Of Not Getting The Funds They Need

April 2020: McConnell Said He Would Be In Favor Of “Allowing States To Use The Bankruptcy Route” Instead Of Offering Federal Aid. HH: “I agree. I think people do not understand how badly mismanaged some states have been, and their unfunded liabilities. And if they were in the private sector, they would have to reorganize under the bankruptcy code. But there is no bankruptcy code chapter. Do you think that we need to invent one for states so that they can discharge some of these liabilities that were put in place by previous governors like, I mean, Jerry Brown ran a giveaway program for public employee unions that was just astonishing, and as did Gray Davis, as did, you know, a lot of Democratic governors, Illinois is probably the worst, and Connecticut. They’ve just given money away for years to people who aren’t working.” MM: “Yeah, I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route. It saves some cities. And there’s no good reason for it not to be available. My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they don’t have to do that. That’s not something I’m going to be in favor of.” [Hugh Hewitt, Transcript, 4/22/20]
The National Association Of Counties Called On Congress To Approve Aid For State And Local Governments, Noting They Employ Millions, Including Police And Emergency Responders. According to the National Association of Counties, “With millions of jobs and the economic recovery at stake, the seven leading organizations representing state, territorial and local governments called on Congress to approve an aid package that would sustain vital services to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. State and local governments employ nearly 15 million Americans, including teachers and professors, police officers and firefighters, healthcare workers and employees who maintain roads and mass transit, parks, libraries and essential infrastructure such as water and wastewater systems.” [National Association of Counties, 5/20/20

FACT: Mitch McConnell Has Frequently Voted Against Local Law Enforcement & Police Programs…