GOP attacks congresswoman for caring about gun control after she lost son to gun violence

In the wake of mass shootings over the weekend, Republicans on Wednesday turned their vitriol toward Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), a mother who lost her only son to gun violence.

After the mass shootings, McBath sent an email to her campaign email list laying out her positions on gun safety (in favor) and those of her likely Republican opponent (opposed). As with most campaign emails, there was a donate button in case anyone wanted to support McBath.

In a press statement, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesperson Camille Gallo accused McBath of “politicizing a tragedy for a quick buck.” On Twitter, Gallo continued her attack, saying, “Anything for a quick buck, Lucy!”

Ever since McBath lost her son Jordan to gun violence, she has been a leading advocate of gun safety. Before she was elected to Congress in 2018, McBath was a national spokesperson with Moms Demand Action, a gun safety advocacy organization.

After Republicans attempted to smear her, McBath went on the offensive on Twitter.

“Let’s get something straight: I lost my only son to gun violence. I now dedicate all of my love for Jordan towards our fight for gun safety,” McBath wrote Wednesday evening.

“Our nation’s dangerous gun laws are the reason that I was never able to take senior prom pictures and graduation pictures or send Jordan off to college,” she added. “I refuse to apologize to National Republicans for calling out my opponents when they respond to mass shootings with the same tired talking points. Our communities need someone who will stand up for gun violence victims, and I plan on continuing to be that person in Washington.”

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes called Gallo a “morally bankrupt mercenary” for such a baseless attack as the nation is healing from shootings in El Paso and Dayton.

Sadly, Gallo’s attacks are not the first time Republicans have targeted McBath for her stance on gun safety issues. In June, the Republican who McBath defeated in 2018, Karen Handel, claimed McBath only won “on emotion.” The NRA, which supported Handel, said McBath won because she is “a minority female.”

Later in June, the NRCC put out a misleading ad accusing McBath of flip-flopping on the issue of gun safety.

Republicans have already resorted to dirty tricks and outright lies in their smear campaign against McBath. In April, the NRCC sent a package to McBath at her mother’s house in Tennessee. Her mother, Margaret, signed for the package, but the NRCC falsely claimed Lucy McBath signed for it and therefore was a Tennessee resident.

On Wednesday, the NRCC once again resorted to the same lie on Twitter, falsely alleging McBath lives in Tennessee rather than in Georgia.

As the leader of the Republican Party, Trump has spent years telling lies and attacking people of color, especially powerful women of color. It seems Gallo and the team at the NRCC are learning from Trump and launching baseless attacks against McBath, a mother who dedicates her love for the son she lost toward ensuring no other mother must endure the same pain and loss.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.