GOP attacks congresswoman whose son was shot dead for wanting gun safety

If this isn’t the most tone-deaf political attack, we’re not sure what is.

The National Republican Congressional Committee — the House GOP’s political arm tasked with wining control of the lower chamber — released an attack ad against Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) for supporting gun control measures in Congress.

The attack is vile considering McBath’s history with gun violence: Her son, Jordan Davis, was murdered in cold blood at a gas station, when a man shot and killed Davis because he was mad about loud music coming from Davis’ car.

Her son’s murder was what spurred McBath, a former flight attendant, to get involved in politics and run for Congress in the first place. And she made passing commonsense gun reforms a hallmark of her campaign.

Yet the NRCC’s ad claims that McBath “flip-flopped” on guns in the 30-second negative ad — which was posted on YouTube last week under a restricted link, but only came to light on Thursday when Politico reported its existence.

It’s no secret that McBath wanted and supports gun reforms.

She did numerous media appearances on her support for gun control before she won her seat in Congress.

And since winning her race in 2018, she’s done exactly what she said she would do: vote on commonsense gun measures, including an overwhelmingly popular bill that strengthens background checks for gun purchasers and the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization that would allow judges to keep guns out of the hands of violent domestic abusers.

McBath’s campaign condemned the NRCC for the ad.

“This cycle, the National Republican Party is unhinged and will do and say anything to retain power,” Jake Orvis, a spokesman for McBath’s campaign, said in a statement to Shareblue. “Unfortunately, they also chose to harass Lucy’s elderly mother-in-law in Tennessee, and lie about her signature. While they are trying and failing to land partisan attacks, Lucy will continue fighting for families throughout Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District.”

This is not the first time the NRCC has fallen flat on their face while trying to attack McBath.

Earlier this year, the NRCC tried to claim McBath didn’t live in her district by sending a package to McBath’s elderly mother-in-law and claiming that McBath was the one who signed for it (she wasn’t).

Not to mention, McBath’s potential 2020 GOP opponent — former Rep. Karen Handel — said that the only reason McBath won in 2018 was because of “emotion” over her dead son.

If these are the kind of attacks the NRCC is working on for 2020, it’s no wonder Republicans in Congress are frustrated with NRCC leadership.

This stupid and callous attack against a woman whose son was killed is not a political winner.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.