CNN This Morning criticized GOP primary candidates Senator Tim Scott (SC) and former Ambassador Nikki Haley for opposing Obama’s stance on race this Monday, hinting that they betrayed their own. Commentators LZ Granderson and Ron Brownstein called the candidates’ actions “disappointing” and “unfortunate” and claimed that ignoring racism and sexism defined the Republican coalition. Granderson also cited Haley’s use of “them” in a tweet as proof she did not identify with minorities.
Responding to Scott’s tweet: “The truth of MY life disproves the lies of the radicle left,” Granderson rebuked Scott for ignoring part of his story. “Like it, it took a hundred years from reconstruction to his election to get an African-American Republican from the South represented in the Senate. That's not by accident. That's by design,” Granderson explained. “And for him to not acknowledge that design as part of his story is really unfortunate.”
Scott never denied that racism marred America’s past and tweeted on Monday celebrating Juneteenth and the freedom slaves won; “We honor Juneteenth not to dwell on our original sin as a nation, but to showcase just how far we’ve come. We can’t forget the lessons of our past, but we must always continue to strive towards a more perfect union.”