Does the Republican National Committee's spokeswoman not understand what primaries are?

Kayleigh McEnany with Betsy DeVos.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rep. Joe Crowley lost the Democratic primary Tuesday night in New York's 14th congressional district. Key word: Democratic.

The winner, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is a 28-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America who is calling for universal health care and the end of ICE. President Trump was quick to kick Crowley while he was down (well, singing), tweeting that the 10-term congressman was a "Big Trump Hater" and insinuating that had Crowley been "nicer, and more respectful, to his president," he would have won.

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Many people, including Politico's Jake Sherman, were confused as to how Crowley — from a heavily Democratic district — losing in his Democratic primary to a more progressive candidate was a win for the GOP. "What are you talking about," he asked. More tweets started rolling in, with most certain that McEnany thought Crowley lost to a Republican and had no idea this was a primary, and others pretty sure she doesn't even know what a primary is.

McEnany never clarified if she did, in fact, understand that this was a primary, instead declaring that the GOP is "celebrating this if you haven't noticed. As Democrats lurch toward the failed socialist platform of Bernie Sanders, our party's prospects of electoral success are secured for many years to come."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.