Mitch McConnell’s re-election campaign has brought in $70,000 since it began selling T-shirts capitalizing on his “Cocaine Mitch” nickname.
The shirts, which depicts the 77-year-old Senate majority leader surrounded by a swirl of white powder and feature the phrase “CARTEL MEMBER” on the back, have been a roaring success for McConnell’s campaign for re-election in Kentucky, according to the Center for Public Integrity. McConnell’s team successfully turned the derogatory nickname from a former competitor into a money-making meme.
A year ago, a legend was born. Own your piece of history. #CocaineMitch
— Team Mitch (@Team_Mitch) May 8, 2019
The moniker came from Don Blankenship in a campaign ad. Blankenship, a West Virginia U.S. Senate candidate, labeled McConnell “cocaine Mitch” after accusing his father-in-law, James S.C. Chao, of having cocaine found on a ship he owned. He also referred to Chao as a “wealthy China person.” McConnell is married to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
McConnell’s team embraced the nickname and poked fun at Blankenship after the former coal baron’s defeat in the Republican primary.
A photo of McConnell surrounded by white powder and the phrase “Thanks for playing, Don” was posted to the McConnell campaign’s Twitter account. The photoshopped picture played off of a promotional image from the hit Netflix show “Narcos,” which shows Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar surrounded by falling cocaine.
[Also read: Trump adviser who fought drug addiction denounces ‘Cocaine Mitch’]
Thanks for playing, @DonBlankenship. #WVSen pic.twitter.com/TV1ETgQdmu
— Team Mitch (@Team_Mitch) May 9, 2018
McConnell, a six-term senator, is up for re-election in 2020.
