NRCC Denies Accusations of Darkening Colin Kaepernick’s Skin Color in Fundraising Email
The National Republican Congressional Committee is denying that they doctored an image of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in their latest fundraising email.
Yahoo! News reported that on Wednesday, the NRCC sent out a message that included Kaepernick juxtaposed to President Donald Trump. The image calls Kaepernick “anti-American flag” in a dig at his reported objections to Nike’s plans to release a new pair of shoes themed around the Betsy Ross version of the flag.
The NRCC is being accused of altering the photo to make his skin look darker than it really is. A Democratic operative speaking to Yahoo! said, “House Republicans are running on racism, plain and simple. It’s disgusting, it’s offensive and it should be fireable, but there’s no accountability in the Republican Party.”
NRCC communications director Chris Pack insisted to Yahoo! that the photo “was not darkened.”
Even so, the NRCC is being accused of racism based on the reactions of several critics:
Wanna win those racist, white votes? Run a Willie Horton-style ad darkening Colin Kaepernick’s skin, says the National Republican Congressional Committee. https://t.co/7CFTveK67t h/t @hunterw
— Terrell J. Starr (@Russian_Starr) July 11, 2019
If the @NRCC intentionally darkened @Kaepernick7‘s skin, then forget apologies — they ought to be forced to explain to America why they believe darker skin makes someone look worse, in their eyes.
Any answer they could give would be un-American.https://t.co/UR1xDw3N7R
— VoteVets (@votevets) July 11, 2019
Wow. The racist scumbags at the @NRCC made Colin Kaepernick’s skin darker in a fundraising email https://t.co/GjJ6icJvpu
— David Nir (@DavidNir) July 11, 2019
Dear @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy: I served with you in the California legislature and now in Congress. I do not believe you are a racist. If the below is true, then I hope you will fire those who were responsible.
cc:@NRCC https://t.co/J0TjJiituZ
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 11, 2019
The NRCC has issued a tweet of their own to counter the accusation:
.@CheriBustos‘s @DCCC should probably take a knee on this one. https://t.co/a7XNGKbLnZ https://t.co/5qGjWqrfCp
— NRCC (@NRCC) July 11, 2019
