Actor Kumail Nanjiani Slammed For Tweet Saying McCain Has Not Defended People of Other Races

Comedian Kumail Nanjiani, best known for the award-winning film The Big Sick, was roundly criticized Sunday for a tweet suggesting that John McCain and his family have not spoken out against injustices to other races.

McCain — currently battling an aggressive brain cancer — has been in the limelight recently due to a couple of very distasteful comments made about him; one White House aide said his vote on whether to confirm potential CIA Director Gina Haspel didn’t matter because “he’s dying anyway,” and a military analyst said that torture “worked” on him, which is why he’s called “Songbird John.”

Nanjiani took the McCain-centric moment to say that the Republican hasn’t exactly been a social justice warrior:

What was said about McCain was vile, but I wish the McCain’s had been as offended and vocal when vile stuff was said about other people/races/nationalities. Perhaps we wouldn’t be in this moment right now.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) May 12, 2018

And Twitter was quick to remind him that McCain’s been pretty damn vocal against injustice — including the famous moment he stood up to a bigoted voter in the 2008 election, which you can watch above — throughout his decades-long career in public service:

This seems a bit uninformed about 2000, what George Bush’s team did to McCain and McCain’s adopted daughter, what McCain did in response to a racist smear about Obama in 2008 race. https://t.co/fCw9v4fxxr

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 14, 2018

@SenJohnMcCain’s youngest daughter, adopted by him & Cindy, is from Bangladesh. His daughter-in-law is African-American. 1 of his best friends, Ever Alvarez, 1 of longest held POW’s, was Mexican-American. He doesn’t judge ppl by skin color & has vocally confronted racial bigotry. https://t.co/i7XREct89q

— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) May 14, 2018

Here’s McCain. Where the fuck were you? https://t.co/6BKzZK5WV1

— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) May 14, 2018

True I hear you totally but McCain voted a big fat thumbs down no on Obamacare repeal and during the 08 race he spoke up https://t.co/910avsG1hh

— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) May 12, 2018

Like when he was outraged about the vile things said about his daughter Bridgette ? I think you are being extremely unfair to John McCain. May I ask you to find and watch the video from late in the 08 campaign when Mccain is confronted with a bigoted question

— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) May 12, 2018

I think you were alive in the year 2000. Did you read a newspaper? Ever? https://t.co/pyLCapj9jO

— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) May 14, 2018

McCain has a long history of calling out those types of attacks. He was specifically known for calling out racist attacks on Obama in 2008. Maybe do a little research before smearing someone like this? https://t.co/ybhgfmZd2K

— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) May 14, 2018

I’d agree with this sentiment towards most rank & file, close lipped, and complicit Rs. John McCain is one of the very few where I think this totally misses the mark. https://t.co/DJND9rpLNI

— Nick Bat (@nickbat) May 14, 2018

You do know the McCains are a multiracial family, right? https://t.co/igyCChhHpq

— Mike Nelson (@mikenelson586) May 14, 2018

Even Meghan McCain called out Kumail for his tweet:

You mean like he did here? I could give you literally thousands of examples of my father speaking up against bigotry of all kinds but this video sums it up pretty concisely. You know nothing about my family or my father Kumail, nothing. https://t.co/wxDngff7U9 https://t.co/2fgI2yWdRx

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) May 14, 2018

[image via screengrab]

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