McConnell Hints That We Made up For Slavery by Having Black President

The topic of reparations has been commonly discussed on the Democratic campaign trail. It is a conversation about one of the darkest sins in American history and deserves to be treated with nuance. Senator and Democratic hopeful Cory Booker recently created a bill that would, “establish a commission to study the impact of slavery on African Americans and suggest proposals that would help repay descendants of slaves.”

Republicans, however, sometimes have trouble treating the topic with the proper nuance. When asked about reparations today, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that Civil Rights legislation and the election of Barack Obama should have eased the pain caused by slavery.

PBS New Hours, Judy Woodruff tweeted out the Senate Majority Leaders full comments. “I don’t want reparations for something that happened 150 years ago,” said McConnell. We’ve tried to deal with the original sin of slavery by passing civil rights legislation and electing an African American president. No one currently alive (was a slave) …and we wouldn’t even know whom to compensate.”

moments ago, @SenateMajLdr McConnell on #Reparations: "I don't want reparations for something that happened 150 years ago…we've tried to deal with the original sin of slavery by passing civil rights legislation and electing an African American president…."

— Judy Woodruff (@JudyWoodruff) June 18, 2019

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The comments are sure continue debate on both sides of the aisle. Republicans have pushed back hard against Booker’s potential study. Senator John Kennedy (R) of Louisiana basically echoed McConnell’s sentiments. “I don’t think anybody ― black or white, man or woman, whatever your nationality ― is responsible for what somebody else did, somebody else, black or white, did 150 years ago,” said Kennedy.

President Donald Trump has yet to weigh in on the topic of reparations. There is not, however, support for the idea among this electoral base.