Martha McSally’s Trumpian attack on CNN a display of political cowardice

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Even though I’m not affiliated with either of the major political parties, as a former Republican, I’m in so many party databases that I still receive a daily avalanche of emails filled with MAGA® hat offers, and desperate appeals for donations to help Republicans get elected.

One of the appeals overflowing my inbox on a fairly regular basis, sometimes multiple times a day, comes from the campaign of Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ). Having never earned the seat — she lost to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) in 2018 and was appointed to fill the remainder of John McCain’s term after his passing — McSally has been desperate to prove she deserves the job.

A recurring theme in her solicitations for donations sounds something like this (I’m paraphrasing): America and Arizona need me in the U.S. Senate to fight socialism ala Mitch McConnell and to unconditionally support Donald Trump to help him defeat the liberal, leftist agenda.

McSally often falls back on her status as a “combat veteran” as she tries to assure potential donors of her ability to “identify problems, find solutions, and fix them immediately.” She also claims that her “fighter” background can stop “Chuck Schumer and his dark money allies,” and she frequently boasts about how flying missions in Iraq and Afghanistan makes her unafraid of anyone who opposes her, including the “desperate and dishonest left-wing media.”

In reality, McSally is a political coward and a Trump-esque bloviating blowhard. After only a year in the Senate, her Conservative Review Liberty Score® is a dismal 44% (F). And in the unafraid-of-the-liberal-media department, a recent confrontation with the media shows her cowardice.

Yesterday, CNN reporter Manu Raju — one of those dishonest media types she claims not to fear — approached McSally and dared to ask her a question regarding the Senate impeachment proceedings about to begin. Her response was more cowardly than courageous.

“Sen. McSally, should the Senate consider new evidence as part of the impeachment trial?” Raju asked.

“Manu, you’re a liberal hack. I’m not talking to you,” McSally said.

“You’re not going to comment, senator, about this?” Raju replied.

“You’re a liberal hack,” she repeated as she walked away.

Liberal hack or fake news. Two sides of the same anti-First Amendment coin.

McSally is cashing in on her Trumpian attack on the media from none other than Trump himself. After calling out CNN in a tweet — you know, because she’s so brave — the Trump campaign cheered her for “wrecking” CNN and attached a link to contribute to her campaign.

But hey, what would Trumpism be without the faux-conservative media? McSally also received Twitter praise for her bravery from the Blaze TV pro-Trump echo chamber and one of the founders of Trump Pravda:

“Kudos to Martha McSally! Love this!” – Mark Levin

“[McSally] slammed a CNN reporter to his face — and it was glorious.” – Breitbart News

With polls showing her trailing her opponent, retired astronaut Mark Kelly (D), McSally’s Trumpism and cowardice doesn’t appear to be working all that well. Maybe that’s why she lost to Sinema in 2018, and why it’s looking like she’ll lose again in 2020.

 

David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative.

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