Some left-wing activists are not thrilled that Democrats selected Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA)—a privileged “white man”— to give the response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday evening, arguing that it will be tougher for Democrats to attack Trump as a white guy who inherited his wealth with another white liberal who inherited his fortune. They are also slamming Democrats for selecting someone who is not progressive enough.
The left-wing media outlet Splinter blasted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for believing that “a white man from a storied political dynasty who is, by all accounts, not one of Capitol Hill’s pioneering forces—will ‘do an excellent job in making clear that Democrats are laser-focused on enacting policies to benefit middle class Americans, not special interests or the wealthiest.’”
The founder of Moms Demand Action, a prominent gun control group, argued that Democrats should have selected a woman of color to deliver the response. Others echoed the same sentiments, arguing that is is “really inexcusable,” “tone deaf,” and “an extraordinary waste of a valuable opportunity” to not feature a woman of color to represent the resistance.
Another asked: “Maybe Dems could have tried to find someone who isn’t a white guy?”
A Democratic lawmaker reportedly told the Wall Street Journal: “Kennedy is an establishment pick, which is tone deaf after the 2016 rejection of the Bush and Clinton dynasty.”
The New Republic pointed out that left-wing activists are also upset that Kennedy did not vote for the Medicare-for-all bill or marijuana legalization.