MLK’s Niece: Elizabeth Warren Using Coretta Scott King Letter to ‘Play the Race Card’

In response to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) being reprimanded by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor for reading a letter written by Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., a King family member has accused Warren of playing the “race card.”

Appearing on Fox Business today, Fox News Contributor Alveda King took aim at Warren for her use of the letter in objecting to Jeff Sessions’ nomination as Attorney General. Coretta Scott King wrote the letter more than 30 years ago when Sessions was up for a federal judgeship, with the late civil rights icon criticizing the current Alabama Senator.

Alveda King, the niece of MLK, took a page out of Sean Spicer’s book by stating that Coretta Scott King would be supportive of Sessions were she alive today.

“In that letter she would be referring to some of his comments,” King said. “However, she would agree today that he of course ended some school segregation and he worked to prosecute members of the KKK.”

Moving on to Warren, King said the Massachusetts lawmaker was trying to rile up people by reading the letter.

“It’s almost like a bait and switch,” King noted. “Stir up their emotions, use the name of King — and my name is Alveda King — stir up people’s emotions, play the race card, which she was attempting to do.”

Following McConnell disciplining Warren on the Senate floor, the Senate would vote along party lines to silence her for the remainder of the debate over the Sessions vote. The liberal Senator would call in that evening to The Rachel Maddow Show to claim she had been “red-carded” by the Senate. Since then, other Democratic members of the chamber have taken to the floor to read the letter.

Watch the clip above, via Fox Business.

[image via screengrab]

–

Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com