Mehdi Hasan Roasts Kyrsten Sinema, Asks Challenger If She’ll Retire ‘To Spend More Time with Her Donors’
Mehdi Hasan wondered if Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) will retire when her term expires in 2025 to spend more quality time with her political benefactors.
Sinema has not said publicly whether she will run for reelection.
Filling in for Chris Hayes on Monday’s All In, Hasan interviewed Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who has declared his candidacy for her seat.
Sinema left the Democratic Party in December and switched to independent. She has long been a thorn in the side of progressives and at times mainstream Democrats who view her as an obstructionist to some of the party’s agenda.
Gallego hasn’t pulled any punches when it comes to discussing the senator. Monday was no exception.
Hasan asked the congressman if he’s worried about a general election scenario where he and Sinema split the liberal vote, thus vaulting the Republican nominee to victory.
“I’m not concerned,” he said. “The question isn’t going to be whether we’re going to split the vote. We know that’s not gonna happen. Kyrsten Sinema cannot win this race, whether she’s just in this race head-to-head with a Republican or in a three-way race.”
He said the senator will “not be a factor in this.”
“But isn’t that part of the problem, Congressman?” Hasan asked. “She doesn’t have to win in a three-way race. She just has to lower your margin and allow a Republican to get in.”
Gallego reiterated that he isn’t concerned.
“She has lost the Democratic base and Democratic-leaning voters and independent voters,” he said. “She doesn’t work for them. She doesn’t talk to Arizonans anymore. People don’t feel that she’s there for the right reasons, and she’s spending more time, you know, with the hedge fund managers and the private equity managers than she is with her union members. That’s not gonna sell in Arizona. It doesn’t matter what party she’s in.”
Hasan asked Gallego if he’s heard any scuttlebutt about Sinema’s 2024 plans.
“What are you hearing on the ground in Arizona?” he queried. “Do you think she’s gonna run? Or do you think she’ll just retire from the Senate to spend more time with her donors?”
“I think there’s a lot of prognosticating right now,” Gallego replied, chuckling. “People are looking and trying to read some tea leaves. We can’t focus on that. What we’re gonna focus on is putting on the best campaign possible.”
Watch above via MSNBC.
