Kelly Loeffler Aide Reportedly Shoves CNN’s Manu Raju, Gets Reprimanded By Capitol Police

Sarah RumpfJan 6th, 2021, 1:35 pm
 

An aide for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) reportedly shoved CNN reporter Manu Raju as she entered the Capitol Wednesday for the joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes.

Loeffler lost her bid to retain her seat in Tuesday’s runoff election to Democrat Raphael Warnock, and while her colleague Sen. David Perdue’s (R-GA) race has not yet been called, it seems likely to fall to the Democrats as well, with Jon Ossoff several thousand votes ahead and outstanding votes from blue-leaning areas.

Loeffler had previously said that she intended to join the Republicans who were objecting to the counting of the Electoral College votes that will certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win over President Donald Trump.

Raju attempted to ask Loeffler if she thought Tuesday’s election was “a free and fair election,” when a Loeffler aide “elbowed me and pushed me out of the way.”

According to Raju, a Capitol Police officer “reprimanded” the aide, who “initially lied and said he didn’t push me,” but when the officer said that he had seen the aide push him, the aide apologized.

CNN Georgia politics reporter DJ Judd confirmed Raju’s reporting, tweeting that he had observed the same events: that the aide “just pushed [Raju] out of the way after she refused to answer if the election she lost last night was free & fair,” lied when reprimanded by Capitol Police, and then admitted he had done it and apologized.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.