Trump campaign using video of Martha McSally calling reporter a 'liberal hack' to raise money

(Image credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

last updated 17 January 2020

It seemed odd on Thursday morning when Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) snapped at CNN reporter Manu Raju after he asked her a non-controversial question about impeachment, but now that there's already a fundraising effort based on her calling Raju "a liberal hack," it makes sense.

Raju asked McSally if she believes the Senate should consider new evidence in Trump's impeachment trial, a question he's posed to several other lawmakers on this historic occasion. Instead of saying, "Yes," "No," "Maybe," or "I'm not sure," McSally responded, "Manu, you're a liberal hack. I'm not talking to you. You're a liberal hack." People were shocked by her reaction, and many of Raju's colleagues called on her to apologize.

But then an hour later, a clip labeled "Martha McSally wrecks CNN!" was posted on President Trump's campaign Twitter, along with the caption: "THREE CHEERS for Senator @MarthaMcSally!!! THIS is how you handle FAKE NEWS @CNN. DONATE to Martha NOW." McSally, who lost her 2018 Senate race to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), was appointed to the Senate in 2019 following the resignation of Jon Kyl. Astronaut Mark Kelly, a Democrat, is hoping to unseat her in November. Kelly's campaign has $6 million more in the bank, and a new poll shows him leading McSally by 4 percentage points.

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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.

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