WATCH: Sen. Martha McSally Tells Voters to ‘Fast’ and Give Her Their Meal Money, Gets Roasted on Twitter
Republican Arizona Senator Martha McSally suggested that her supporters “fast” so they could donate the meal money to her campaign, which resulted in a social media barbecue of epic proportions.
On Friday, the Arizona Democratic Party tweeted a news report that featured audio of McSally — who has consistently trailed her Democratic challenger, astronaut Mark Kelly — telling supporters “Anybody can give, I’m not ashamed to ask, to invest. If you can give a dollar, five dollars, if you can fast a meal and give what that would be…”
NEW: @SenMcSallyAZ is “telling her supporters that they could come up with more campaign cash to donate, if they just ‘fast a meal.'”
Former Arizona GOP U.S. House and gubernatorial candidate: “It does feel like it’s a little bit of an act of desperation.” #azsen pic.twitter.com/XfFXdxUjcQ
— Arizona Democratic Party (@azdemparty) August 22, 2020
Instead of passing COVID-19 relief, the GOP Senate is taking 3+ weeks off—while millions of Americans don't have enough to eat. https://t.co/wh4yJfROJH @SenMcSallyAZ has prioritized campaigning—including by asking her supporters to "fast a meal" & donate to her campaign. #azsen https://t.co/yn71vgEIdm
— Arizona Democratic Party (@azdemparty) August 22, 2020
That tweet quickly went viral, but the story really got cooking when super-Tweeter Yashar Ali posted it.
Arizona Senator @MarthaMcSally, who is down five points in the polls vs @CaptMarkKelly, suggests to her supporters that they “fast a meal” and give her campaign the money that they saved from fasting. pic.twitter.com/MrH2DXax8d
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) August 22, 2020
The reactions were not great for McSally, although some did point out that her appeal had religious overtones. It didn’t help.
This can’t be real. https://t.co/rK3xFCOy9q
— Zac Petkanas (@Zac_Petkanas) August 22, 2020
There are many Arizonans who are already being forced to fast many meals to ensure their kids are fed, ration their prescription meds, and go without other basic needs because of the policies of @SenMcSallyAZ and the @GOP.
Maybe the better option is to vote for @CaptMarkKelly. https://t.co/mfBtHXlQnO
— Sen. Martín Quezada (@SenQuezada29) August 22, 2020
the sort of thing you have to hear to believe.
unelected Sen McSally – on *recess* until Sept despite the fact that Senate Republicans didn't act on add'l coronavirus relief like unemployment aid & USPS funds – is telling people to "fast a meal" to donate to her campaign #azsen https://t.co/6SQxmF94vm
— Lauren Passalacqua (@laurenvpass) August 22, 2020
WoW- GOP Senator Martha McSally opposes helping people in need but wants people to "fast a meal" and then send her the $ for her campaign so she can continue to turn her back on working class Americans! This the SELFISHNESS that defines Trumpism!! https://t.co/x8ZHg2iLWY
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) August 22, 2020
Did she end her pitch by saying “May the odds be ever in your favor”? https://t.co/CFxpWptak2
— Jamal “Insidious SJW” Igle (@JAMALIGLE) August 22, 2020
Crazy idea. How about they eat as they do and vote instead for a senator who entertains the notion that securing and maintaining the basic welfare of constituents is their existential purpose. And not the other way around. https://t.co/8XqEEDypdh
— David Simon (@AoDespair) August 22, 2020
If you do fast and want to donate the savings, consider giving to a food bank. There are many Americans hurting in this pandemic.
The above message is what a decent elected official would say. Unlike @MarthaMcSally. https://t.co/KnLHNQpG3M
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 22, 2020
LAST MONTH: McSally ended unemployment insurance for ppl who lost their jobs b/c of pandemic
THIS MONTH: McSally wants people to "fast a meal" so they can afford to give her campaign cash.
Honestly, she's making Marie Antoinette look good. https://t.co/H24xzWxBPu
— Jesse Ferguson (@JesseFFerguson) August 22, 2020
Ma’am, what?!?
The trash level to fix your mouth to say this to people in the middle of a pandemic.
I hope Mark Kelly wins this election by a damn landslide. https://t.co/KGY19GezeA— LaToya Morgan (@MorganicInk) August 22, 2020
First Republicans want us to sacrifice our grandparents for them. Then they say whoever dies is collateral damage for the economy.
Now McSally expects Republicans to stop eating so they can send her their food money. https://t.co/F3O6Gqxlak
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 22, 2020
Good lord. Look, @SenMcSallyAZ, if your supporters were passionate enough about you to choose you over food, you wouldn't currently be down double digits in the polls. https://t.co/jUanvEs7AB
— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) August 22, 2020
At least Marie Antoinette was willing to let them eat the imaginary cake. https://t.co/fVvFt1D80Z
— Rep. Jared "Please Wear a Mask" Huffman (@JaredHuffman) August 22, 2020
Early Yom Kippur appeal. https://t.co/VViOpGICIg
— Lea Goldman (@lea) August 22, 2020
Feed a cold, starve a supporter https://t.co/EzER9ywjqN
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) August 22, 2020
Very considerate of Ms. McSally to make it especially clear that she doesn't deserve your vote. https://t.co/Xwa1oL0EMu
— Rick G. Rosner (@dumbassgenius) August 22, 2020
Asking your constituents to skip a meal so they can send you what little money they have is not what public service is supposed to be about, which should be incredibly obvious. https://t.co/ngzeXShrgK
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 22, 2020
This is common in white evangelical communities! It's presented as spiritual submission and having faith in God's promise, usually in emergencies like someone has cancer or someone is about to lose their home. It's exceedingly tacky–more than usual–for campaign fundraising. https://t.co/vKZQ1zNtHV
— Charlotte Clymer ?️? (@cmclymer) August 22, 2020
Seems likely that McSally, who has a lot of Mormon constituents, is appealing to/co-opting that practice.
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) August 22, 2020
Starving yourself to own the libs… https://t.co/1LCYCHxYtZ
— Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) August 22, 2020
Ridiculous unelected senator asks supporters to forego food and give the money to her campaign. https://t.co/Mwvi9Nf7LY
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) August 22, 2020
Is this lady saying this while food pantries have people waiting in line for hours? https://t.co/PSCmRpUvAw
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) August 22, 2020
For sure i would be such a dumb suck sack of a lib if all republicans did this. I’d never recover. I’m a fucking stupid piece of dirt and I will cry for months if republicans do this. I’m so sad just thinking of it. I have so many lib tears coming out of my face rn https://t.co/wQTEsFYsuK
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) August 22, 2020
Blasphemy. https://t.co/2wtnhADwBs
— G O L D I E. (@goldietaylor) August 22, 2020
I mean, if you’re going to give up one meal, why not skip 4 or 5? https://t.co/Pcp5WUZbsp
— David Knowles (@writerknowles) August 22, 2020
I’ll fast a meal but I’m not giving a fucking dime to Martha McSally who IIRC tried to slash LEGAL immigration by 50%. https://t.co/ysJhJftknH
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) August 22, 2020
She even drew a rebuke from The Fonz himself.
This interesting .. most people don’t have enough food in the first place https://t.co/9gpKRIardf
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) August 22, 2020
Watch McSally’s plea above via KTVK.
