In an interview Wednesday with CNN’s Dana Bash, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) doubled down on racial remarks he made this weekend when he called United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas an “Uncle Tom” and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “racist.”
Thompson, an African-American, made the comments during an appearance on a New Nation of Islam webcast, BuzzFeed reported Tuesday.
“I’ve been in Washington. I saw three presidents. I never saw George Bush treated like this. I never saw Bill Clinton treated like this, such disrespect,” Thompson said. “That Mitch McConnell would have the audacity to tell the president of the United States — not the chief executive, but the commander-in-chief — that ‘I don’t care what you come up with we’re going to be against it.’ Now if that’s not a racist statement, I don’t know what is.”
Bash approached the Mississippi Democrat about his statements, and Thompson doubled down on his remarks.
“You only see a change when you see the policies change, when you see programs that have been beneficial to the survival to African-Americans in this country being cut, whether it’s Head Start, nutrition programs, educational programs, job-training programs,” the congressman said when asked about where the Republican Party is on the issue of race. “It’s hard to demonstrate that you care about people when the programs that they hold closest to their survival are being put on the chopping block.”
Bash went on to ask whether or not Thompson believes McConnell is racist.
“Well, I’ve never heard him say anything about it to any other president,” he replied.
The CNN correspondent also pressed the Democrat on his comments about Thomas, which he stood by.
“Well, if you look at his decisions on the court, they have been adverse to the minority community, and the people I represent have a real issue with an African-American not being sensitive to those issues,” he said.
When Bash noted that calling an African-American an “Uncle Tom” wouldn’t have been acceptable coming from a white person, Thompson said it was OK for him because he’s black.
The Mississippi Democrat also echoed statements from Attorney General Eric Holder that alleged Republicans treat him and President Barack Obama differently because of their race. Thompson agreed, saying, “I’ve never seen the venom put forth on another candidate or a president like I’ve seen with this president, and that’s my opinion.”
Watch Thompson address his racial remarks below.
