Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., took aim at GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy following his comments likening her, as well as anti-racist author Ibram X. Kendi, to the "modern KKK" for basing one's skin color on the content of their character.
"The verbal assault lobbied against myself and Dr. Kendi is shameful. It is deeply offensive, and it is dangerous," Pressley told MSNBC’s "PoliticsNation" on Sunday.
"It is not that long ago," she continued, "that we were besieged by images of white supremacists carrying tiki torches in Charlottesville. It was not that long ago that a white supremacist mob seized the Capitol, waving Confederate flags and erecting nooses on the West Lawn of the Capitol."
On Sunday, Ramaswamy stood by his position.
"I stand by what I said to provoke an open and honest discussion in this country," the GOP nominee hopeful told CNN host Dana Bash. "And there are many Americans today who are deeply frustrated by the new culture of anti-racism, how it's really racism in new clothing."
Reportedly, Ramaswamy's initial comment dates to 2019.
But on Friday, according to NBC News, attention around Ramaswamy's position resurfaced after he read the opening lines at a rally to Kendi's book "How To Be Antiracist."
"Here's what it says," Ramaswamy said. "Opening lines: 'The remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.'"
Responding to Ramaswamy's comment, Kendi told MSNBC on Sunday that, "the modern Klan actually hates me. And you know who the modern Klan loves? The very candidate that Vivek praises every chance he gets, and that's Donald Trump."
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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