Amy McGrath, who is running to unseat Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), criticized McConnell Tuesday using a false attack from a Washington Post opinion writer.
McGrath’s campaign message on Twitter included Post columnist Jennifer Rubin’s claim that the “failure to take an immediate vote” on a coronavirus relief package “was emblematic of the sloth and irresponsibility of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.” McGrath argued that this shows McConnell “doesn’t care” about Kentucky or America, but the Post had to remove Rubin’s claim and add a lengthy correction to the article, titled “Trump’s damage is already done.”
“An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) delayed a vote on the House’s coronavirus relief package,” the Post‘s correction reads. “In fact, McConnell vowed to move at ‘warp speed’ on the bill and it was only delayed due to a demand from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) for an amendment on the bill.”
McGrath has not deleted the tweet that trumpets Rubin’s initial claim, which she sent before Rubin’s story was officially corrected by the Post.
“Mitch McConnell doesn’t care about our commonwealth or our country. He showed that last weekend to the country, and he’s shown that to Kentucky for the past 35 years,” McGrath tweeted with a picture of Rubin’s now-corrected claim.
McGrath’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the correction. The Post also did not respond to a request for comment concerning the timing of the correction.
Two hours before tweeting the attack on McConnell, McGrath tweeted “Welcome back to work” when Sen. McConnell stated his intention to keep the Senate in session until the coronavirus crisis is addressed.
Last month, McGrath aired an advertisement featuring two miners suffering from black lung. The miners blasted McGrath for using “miners suffering from black lung disease as political pawns without their permission” and argued the underlying claim that McConnell ignored them is false.
McGrath is running against several other Democrats for the party’s nomination to challenge McConnell later this year.