Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) told her supporters to “fast a meal” and donate to her reelection effort during a recent event, a comment that sparked backlash, which her campaign later dismissed as a "joke."
The Republican senator, who is facing a fierce challenge from Democratic opponent Mark KellyMark KellyMcSally, staff asked to break up maskless photo op inside Capitol McSally's final floor speech: 'I gave it my all, and I left it all on the field' The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC - Dems push McConnell on COVID-19 relief; Grassley contracts COVID-19 MORE, made the remarks during an event in northern Arizona, according to an audio recording obtained by outlet Arizona's Family on Friday.
“We're doing our part to catch up, you know, to get our message out. But it takes resources,” McSally said. “So, anybody can give, I'm not ashamed to ask, to invest. If you can give $1, $5, if you can fast a meal and give what that would be.”
The remarks stirred backlash among critics online, causing the senator’s name to trend on Twitter on Saturday morning with nearly 30,000 tweets.
Singer-songwriter and writer Holly Figueroa O’Reilly called McSally’s remarks “sick.”
“There are literally people sitting in their cars in food bank lines all night in order to get a small box of food to feed their entire families for one week,” she wrote. “Martha McSally
Martha Elizabeth McSallyMcSally, staff asked to break up maskless photo op inside Capitol McSally's final floor speech: 'I gave it my all, and I left it all on the field' The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC - Dems push McConnell on COVID-19 relief; Grassley contracts COVID-19 MORE wants you to skip some meals so she can win her Senate seat.”
There are literally people sitting in their cars in food bank lines all night in order to get a small box of food to feed their entire families for one week.
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) August 22, 2020
Martha McSally wants you to skip some meals so she can win her Senate seat.
This is sick. #saturdaymorning https://t.co/VUUO8Ctl5n
Dean Obeidallah, a comedian and radio show host, called it “selfishness that defines Trumpism.”
WoW- GOP Senator Martha McSally opposes helping people in need but wants people to "fast a meal" and then send her the $ for her campaign so she can continue to turn her back on working class Americans! This the SELFISHNESS that defines Trumpism!! https://t.co/x8ZHg2iLWY
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) August 22, 2020
The Lincoln Project, a Republican super PAC targeting McSally and other GOP senators, simply wrote, “Yikes.”
Yikes. https://t.co/LPCZV2aSzX
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) August 22, 2020
McSally’s campaign dismissed the criticism in a statement to local media outlets.
"This is a dumb non-story about a candidate making a joke on the stump,” a spokeswoman for the campaign said in part to Arizona's Family.
Campaign spokeswoman Caroline Anderegg told the Arizona Republic that McSally "would literally give the shirt off her back for anyone" while accusing Democrats and Kelly's campaign of "launching a misleading character assassination.
"Martha has written checks to people on her block that can't afford their groceries," the spokeswoman added while also pushing back on the criticism on Twitter.
Anyone who is taking this selectively edited clip seriously is being intellectually dishonest.
— Caroline Anderegg (@cfanderegg) August 22, 2020
Mark Kelly can’t run on the issues so his team is pushing some BS non-story to get RTs. Congrats guys. https://t.co/xnSUck4VRW
McSally is among the most vulnerable GOP Senate incumbents facing reelection this year. She is currently the only GOP Senate incumbent to find her seat in The Cook Political Report’s "lean Democrat" column.
She already has a history of losing a statewide race. A former representative from Arizona’s 2nd District, McSally was defeated in 2018 by Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in the state’s Senate race. Weeks after that loss, she was appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey
Doug DuceyMcSally's final floor speech: 'I gave it my all, and I left it all on the field' Arizona secretary of state calls on Trump, members of Congress to stop 'perpetuating misinformation' Graham becomes center of Georgia storm MORE (R) to serve out the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain
John Sidney McCainMcSally, staff asked to break up maskless photo op inside Capitol Palin responds to Obama: 'He is a purveyor of untruths' Obama had to quit coaching Sasha's basketball team because other parents complained: book MORE’s (R-Ariz.) term.
Virtually every recent public poll shows the GOP incumbent trailing Kelly, a former astronaut and U.S. Navy captain, in the race.
Kelly began the general election fight with nearly $24 million in cash on hand, more than twice as much as McSally.
