With the Georgia runoff battle underway, all eyes were on Sunday night’s debate between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her opponent Rev. Raphael Warnock. Whether it was Loeffler’s Stepford Wives performance, her exhausting use of the phrase “radical left,” or her defense of Donald Trump’s dubious campaign to ignore the 2020 election results, Loeffler faced quite a bit of heat from viewers watching at home.
But there was one comment in particular that infuriated those watching the debate. At one point in the night, Loeffler, a vehement opponent of the Black Lives Matter movement, claimed that “there is not a racist bone in my body.” Sure sure, Kelly.
As HuffPostreports, Loeffler was asked by the moderator about her previous statement calling the BLM movement “facist,” after a Black Georgia constituent spoke about the constant fear she lives with, worrying one of her family members will become a victim of police violence. The senator, who has welcomed the support of QAnon conspiracy theorists, declined to walk back her comment.
“Well, the life of every African American is important, and there is no place for racism in this country,” Loeffler said. “But there are organizations whose number one goal is to defund the police. And we know that that hurts minority communities more than anyone. And we have to stand with our men and women of law enforcement. And I will always do that.”
In response, Rev. Warnock fired back by citing Loeffler’s questionable network of support. “She says she is against racism and that racism has no place, but she welcomed the support of a QAnon conspiracy theorist and she sat down with a white supremacist for an interview,” he said.
As the co-partner of the Atlanta Dream WNBA team, Loeffler has also expressed her opposition to the league’s dedication to racial justice. Members of the Dream have been campaigning for Loeffler to be kicked out of the WNBA for months now over racist and homophobic statements.
Following Warnock’s response, Loeffler made the audacious claim that she doesn’t have a racist bone in her body, which prompted an immediate wave of criticism online.
The contest between Rev. Warnock and Sen. Loeffler is coming down to the wire, and its outcome will determine whether or not Republicans are able to hold the Senate for the next two years under a Joe Biden presidency. The runoff election takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2021.
