White GOP congressman attempts to rebuff charges of racism: 'My son is named after a black guy'
Virginia Republican Corey Stewart has run a Senate campaign with some close ties to white nationalism.
But Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.) won't condemn Stewart or endorse him either. This white man will only tell you that his "son is named after a black guy," per The Virginian-Pilot.
Stewart — who was fired by President Trump's campaign, has some serious love for the Confederacy, and has endorsed a bonafide racist — is running to replace Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. Meanwhile, Taylor is running for re-election this fall, and he has remained silent as Democrats push him to either denounce or endorse Stewart.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
After Taylor's Democratic opponent Elaine Luria explicitly called on him to reject Stewart's values, The Virginian-Pilot asked Taylor for a final answer. Taylor's response? Democrats are the only ones who "give a sh-t about Corey Stewart," he said.
"What are they trying to say? That Scott Taylor likes Corey Stewart so therefore he's a racist?" Taylor asked The Virginian-Pilot. He went on to explain that he's a "military guy" who doesn't care if you're "black, white, brown, gay, straight." After all, "my son is named after a black guy," Taylor continued — and never answered one way or the other regarding Stewart.
Taylor's 5-year-old son is apparently named Sterling, says The Hill — noting that which "black guy" little Sterling gets his name from is "unclear."
Making sense of the week's political news, delivered every Wednesday
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.