A Republican congressional candidate in Texas has been accused of racism after releasing a campaign ad that reeks of anti-China policies.
Kathaleen Wall, who is running for the 22nd Congressional District, opened her 30-second ad with a narrator stating “China poisoned our people,” echoing the administration’s rhetoric on the ongoing pandemic.
“President Trump has the courage to call it what it is,” the narrator says, before cutting to a clip of Trump saying “Chinese virus.”
“Kathaleen Wall has his back.”
The ad continues to highlight Wall’s plans for China, including cutting off trade, aid, and support, replacing “Made in China” with “Made in America” and standing with Trump “to face down the Chinese threat.”
“China is a criminal enterprise masquerading as a sovereign nation,” the narrator adds.
Wall is one of the latest Republicans to join Trump in blaming China for the spread of COVID-19.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. John Cornyn, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy have all supported the president’s use of the term “Chinese virus,” which some lawmakers believe has influenced the surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans as a collective.
Ironically, Wall’s ad aired while she was donating hand sanitizers labeled “Made in China” to the Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU), according to the Houston Chronicle.
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“It is an honor to be able to help our local law enforcement protect our community during #COVID19,” Wall tweeted.
Texas’ 22nd Congressional District covers most of Fort Bend County, as well as parts of Brazoria and Harris counties. Wall is running against Troy Nehls, a former sheriff of Fort Bend, in a GOP primary scheduled for July 14.
The winner will face Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni in the general election in November.
“TX-22 is one of America’s most diverse districts and it’s home to a robust Asian American community. Naturally, extremist Kathaleen Wall is leading the charge to cut the most racist TV ad of 2020,” said Avery Jaffe, spokesperson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), according to The Texas Tribune.
Wall only doubled down on her stance, however, saying in a news release that China “knew about this virus and they lied about it.”
“The Chinese are a proud and noble people, but they’ve been hijacked by a criminal enterprise masquerading as a sovereign nation — the Chinese Communist Party,” the congressional candidate added.
Wall’s ad, which was posted on April 1, has since made rounds on Twitter, where many have called out her racism.
“Kathaleen Wall is a rich lady from Houston who is being continually fleeced by her advisors and is on track to lose her runoff, for context, so this is sort of an extremely racist ‘Hail Mary,'” journalist Christopher Hooks, who is based in Austin, commented.
Feature Image Screenshots via Kathaleen Wall for Texas
