Georgia U.S. Rep. Mike Collins used a social media post to amplify a video of a counter-protester who appeared to make monkey noises at a Black student taking part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of Mississippi.
The Jackson Republican was quickly condemned for writing “Ole Miss taking care of business” with a link to the video showing the racist jeers.
“Which part of this is appropriate for a Congressman from Georgia to retweet?” the Georgia NAACP posted in response.
The gestures were seen in a video that Collins amplified of a confrontation between Ole Miss students chanting “lock her up” at the pro-Palestinian demonstrator. The video has garnered more than 20 million views.
Collins already has a long track record of controversial and aggressive social media messages and has embraced the title “memer of Congress.”
A spokesperson for Collins did not respond directly to the Ole Miss student’s behavior but said Sunday that the congressman has highlighted examples of students pushing back against pro-Palestinian protests on their campuses.
“Ole Miss is one of those many examples, particularly outside of the Ivy Leagues and large metropolitan campuses, where counter demonstrators are not letting occupiers encamp and trash their campus,” the spokesperson said.
Collins defended his post over the weekend and swiped at former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele after he accused the Georgia Republican of “casual approval of racist behavior.” Collins snapped back that all Steele does is “repeat leftist talking points.”
The student who made the racist gestures, meanwhile, was ousted from his fraternity.
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Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
GEORGIA CONGRESS. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath is running in the newly drawn 6th Congressional District, but the other two Democrats in the primary are challenging her status as the race’s incumbent.
State Rep. Mandisha A. Thomas, D-South Fulton, and Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson face an uphill battle against an opponent with name recognition and a massive campaign war chest.
Read more in our overview of the contest, including how McBath is working to connect with voters in parts of metro Atlanta she hasn’t represented before, and what Richardson and Thomas say they have to offer.
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Credit: Screenshot
Credit: Screenshot
JAN. 6 CANDIDATE. Some candidates might run away from their role in the violent pro-Donald Trump mob that engulfed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Chuck Hand, a Republican running in the 2nd Congressional District, is embracing it.
Read about Hand’s longshot challenge to Democratic U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, the longest-serving member of Georgia’s congressional delegation.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
TRAIL BITS:
- U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, endorsed Democratic educator Bryce Berry in the crowded field competing to challenge party-switching Republican state Rep. Mesha Mainor, R-Atlanta.
- Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, traveled to Miami to meet with Republican state Rep. Daniel Perez, the incoming speaker of the Florida House.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
VETO PEN. Tuesday marks the deadline for Gov. Brian Kemp to either sign or veto legislation passed earlier this year in the Georgia General Assembly’s legislative session.
He’s expected to issue his first vetoes of the cycle today, your insider Greg Bluestein writes, eyeing measures that set new rules for challenging voters’ eligibility and a suspension of sales tax breaks on new data centers.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, writes about Senate Bill 368 in a commentary that published at AJC.com this morning. The bill would prohibit foreign campaign contributions, which are already banned by federal law and haven’t been found in Georgia.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
LISTEN UP. Today on the “Politically Georgia” radio show, ACLU of Georgia director Andrea Young discusses recent changes to the state’s cash bail laws and other measures her organization is tracking.
The AJC’s Ernie Suggs also joins the show to discuss his recent coverage of the history of campus protests in America.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
In case you missed it, on Friday’s show four students from different colleges across Georgia recounted what they saw firsthand as pro-Palestinian protests unfolded on their campuses. They also shared their thoughts about the Israel-Hamas conflict and how it has affected their political outlook.
Listen at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
SECOND GENTLEMAN IN GEORGIA. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the spouse of Vice President Kamala Harris, will campaign for the Democratic presidential ticket in Atlanta on Tuesday.
During his visit, Emhoff will convene a panel of health care providers, students and others to talk about abortion rights. He will also meet with small business owners.
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WILL SHE OR WON’T SHE? U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has pledged to begin the process of forcing a vote on Speaker Mike Johnson’s ouster as soon as the House returns to session, which happens tonight.
If Greene makes good on that promise, Johnson has a two-day window to schedule the vote. That means it could happen as soon as today, if Johnson decides to just get it over with, or as late as Wednesday.
Greene, R-Rome, is unlikely to succeed in her efforts to remove Johnson from his post. Plenty of Republicans either support him outright or just don’t want the headache of being blamed for another speakership vacancy, which would grind all work to a halt until a replacement is voted in.
Democrats, meanwhile, have said they will support an effort to table Greene’s motion to vote Johnson out. Their official stance is that keeping Johnson is better than the drama and inertia of another speakership vacancy.
But we can’t help but also make note of an anti-Greene sentiment among members from both parties. A vote to keep Johnson as speaker is also a vote against her, and many members seem to welcome that opportunity.
“Her theater and this constant effort to hold the Congress hostage has to come to an end,” Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-New York, told CNN per a report in Newsweek. “I’m going to have no part in it. And a good number of my colleagues, conservative and moderate, believe that enough is enough.”
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GUN LAW CHALLENGED. A Jesup man has filed a lawsuit challenging Savannah’s new “lock up your gun” law, the first legal objection to a first-of-its-kind-in-Georgia ordinance that outlaws the leaving of guns in unlocked cars.
In the suit, an attorney for Clarence Belt describes his client as a “frequent visitor of Savannah for shopping, dining, and doctor visits” and a “lawful weapons carrier.” Belt seeks an injunction prohibiting enforcement of the ordinance, $100 in damages and legal fees.
The legal challenge was filed Thursday in Chatham County Superior Court. A day later, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr delivered a letter to a Savannah city official deeming the gun storage law “void” because it conflicts with state statutes protecting firearms rights.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who championed the ordinance, responded to Carr’s letter in a Saturday interview with insider Adam Van Brimmer. He said the message is a legal opinion and that the courts, not the Georgia attorney general, constitutes constitutionality. He vowed to fight any challenges all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden presents the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the Army football team during a ceremony at the White House. He will also lunch with King Abdullah II of Jordan and in the evening host a belated Cinco de Mayo reception.
- The House has evening votes scheduled.
- The Senate returns Tuesday.
- U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb participate in a press call for the Biden-Harris campaign to discuss the administration’s efforts to encourage clean energy.
- U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff hosts a news conference to highlight the nearly $4 million in federal funding secured for affordable housing in Clayton County.
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Credit: Screenshot
Credit: Screenshot
GRADUATION SEASON. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff delivered the commencement address at Clayton State University in Morrow on Saturday.
The Atlanta Democrat, currently the youngest member of the U.S. Senate at age 37, noted that he isn’t that far removed from being in a cap and gown himself.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
“I remember sitting exactly where you’re sitting and how it felt — the bittersweet, even the sense of loss as it dawns on you that this is it,” he said. “Your last days on campus. The last days of a routine you’ve come to love. Apprehension about separation from friends who have become like family, but also the pride and the excitement, the feeling of limitless possibility, the new paths and opportunities you’ve opened up through your hard work and determination earning this degree.”
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Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
VOTER GUIDE. Now that early in-person voting is underway, voters are researching the names and races they’ll see on their ballots.
If you are looking for information about the candidates, we have you covered. Check out the Georgia Decides voter guide, a joint project from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Atlanta Civic Circle.
Early in-person voting ends May 17.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. Meet Joey Plaff, the 16-year-old miniature poodle rescue who calls Janet Plaff his person.
Like many 16-year-olds, Joey loves to cruise the streets of his neighborhood in Cumming. When he’s not out and about, he keeps Janet company while she reads the AJC every morning. Good dog, Joey! You’re our Dog of the Day.
If your pooch is ready for his or her 15 minutes of newsletter fame, send them our way! Pups of any political persuasion considered, as are cats on a cat-by-cat basis. Horizontal photos are especially welcome. Send to patricia.murphy@ajc.com.
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
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