A Kentucky Democrat drew fire for taking a political jab at Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that included a reference to the libertarian politician being assaulted by his neighbor late last year during a yard dispute.
[More: Rand Paul’s neighbor sentenced to 30 days in prison for yard attack]
Asked about whether Paul can be beaten by a liberal candidate when he next faces re-election, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said, “I don’t buy that. Just ask his neighbor. He can be beaten.” Grimes made the remark late Friday at an event held ahead of the state’s Fancy Farm picnic on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
Grimes faced backlash for making the joke that reference Paul being assaulted by his neighbor late last year during a yard dispute. In particular, Paul’s chief strategist Doug Stafford did not take kindly to the remark.
“That’s almost as sad and pathetic as her last campaign,” Stafford wrote on Twitter, alluding to Grimes’ unsuccessful 2014 bid to challenge McConnell for his Senate seat. “Mitch beat her so bad he almost got charged with a hate crime.”
Rand Paul’s strategist, responding to Alison Lundergan Grimes’ “he can be beaten” comment https://t.co/iVTc1eCT18
— Adam Beam (@adambeam) August 4, 2018
Kathy Sargeant, chairwoman of the Hardin County Republican Party of Kentucky, similarly lashed out at Grimes, charging that she was “desperate for attention.”
“Desperate for attention, Grimes tries to make physically attacking elected officials a punchline,” Sargeant tweeted. “#FancyFarm has always been a place for lighthearted digs during political speeches and she not only missed the mark by a mile, but was low, even for her.”
Desperate for attention, Grimes tries to make physically attacking elected officials a punchline. #FancyFarm has always been a place for lighthearted digs during political speeches and she not only missed the mark by a mile, but was low, even for her. ? https://t.co/poy4AsjjKw
— Kathy Sargeant (@KathySargeant) August 5, 2018
A spokesman for Grimes, who is speculated to be considering a run for governor, did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.
The Fancy Farm picnic is a Kentucky tradition dating back to the 1880s, where candidates have used televised speeches to launch political campaigns.
Rene Boucher, Paul’s neighbor, pleaded guilty in March to assaulting the sitting member of Congress in November while he was mowing his lawn. The dispute followed a feud over yard debris along their shared fence line. Boucher was later sentenced to 30 days in prison, as well as a year of supervised release.
In June, Paul also filed a civil lawsuit against Boucher claiming compensatory and punitive damages for the “physical pain and mental suffering” he endured when he was tackled by Boucher from behind. The incident left him with six broken ribs and a bout of pneumonia.
