2 years ago
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Democratic Senate front-runner John Fetterman took fierce incoming flak Thursday night from his primary opponents for pulling a shotgun on an unarmed Black man in 2013 when he was mayor of Braddock.
At a televised debate in Harrisburg hosted by ABC27, Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta attacked the lieutenant governor, calling the incident disqualifying and criticizing him for not apologizing for it.
“I heard a burst of gunfire with my young son. I made a split-second decision to call 911, get my son to safety, and intercept an individual, the only individual out running from where the gunfire came,” Fetterman said, “and intercept him until our first responders arrived as Braddock’s chief law enforcement officer and as the mayor.”
Fetterman has said repeatedly that he thought the individual might be fleeing a shooting, and did not know the race or gender of the man at the time. On Thursday, Fetterman also said that he was reelected in Braddock, a majority-Black town, after the incident.
“It’s certainly not a situation that anyone would want to be involved in,” he said after being asked by a moderator whether he would have done anything differently if he went through the same situation today. “But I’d like to point out that I’m the only Democrat on stage who has successfully confronted crime and gun violence.”
The debate was one of the few remaining chances that Lamb and Kenyatta have to change the trajectory of the primary. In a poll by Franklin & Marshall College released earlier this month, Fetterman was leading Lamb 41 percent to 17 percent among Democratic voters. Kenyatta received only 4 percent, while 26 percent were undecided.
Fetterman has also out-fundraised his opponents, bringing in $3.1 million in the first three months of the year. Lamb brought in $1.7 million, and Kenyatta collected about $300,000.
Lamb and Kenyatta both went after Fetterman aggressively. Lamb said he would not answer the moderator’s question “as to whether he did anything wrong or should have done differently, and I just think it’s disqualifying for any of us who has to work hard to gain the trust of the Black community.”
Kenyatta, meanwhile, turned to look at Fetterman and said: “It’s very rare we get John at an event, and so I’ll say directly to the lieutenant governor. For somebody who has cut an image as an incredibly tough guy, you’re so afraid of two little words: ‘I’m sorry.’”
Lamb also criticized Fetterman for not providing more details about his plan to tax the wealthy and painted him as unelectable, highlighting his liberal proposals. Kenyatta, meanwhile, portrayed Fetterman as insufficiently liberal.
“I think what they're looking for is steadiness and sanity here,” said Lamb of voters. “But what they would get in John as a nominee is someone who’s ran around the state with Bernie Sanders supporting Medicare for All.”
Kenyatta said, “He’s on every side of every issue.”
Fetterman characterized his opponents as disingenuous for spouting falsehoods.
Fetterman and Kenyatta said they did not support Philadelphia’s mask mandate, which the city announced Thursday night it would end. Lamb said he backed it, and thought health officials made the decision for the right reasons.
Fetterman at times seemed shaky compared to Lamb and Kenyatta, who were more polished debaters. Rebecca Katz, an adviser to Fetterman, told reporters afterward in the debate spin room that “his opponents came off as politicians” and voters “are looking for a real person, they’re looking for authenticity.”
“Let’s be clear: John was under heavy fire by his opponents. He didn’t flinch,” added Fetterman spokesperson Joe Calvello. “He told his story, he told his background, and told them why he’s in this, why he got into politics in the first place. So despite them throwing everything at him, he walked on that stage the winner and he left the winner.”
In recent weeks, the once-tame Democratic primary has turned ugly. A pro-Lamb super PAC has also been airing a TV ad attacking Fetterman as a “silver-spoon socialist.” An initial version of the spot was taken down after Fetterman’s legal team complained that a claim that he was a “self-described democratic socialist” was false.
The Thursday event was the first televised debate attended by Fetterman. The lieutenant governor has announced that he will appear at three debates before the May 17 primary.
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