Democrat Wisconsin Senate candidate Mandela Barnes claimed the United States is not a great nation, a 2020 video unearthed by the RNC shows.
It is not the first time Barnes has bashed the nation in which he holds public office as Lt. gov. of Wisconsin. Barnes has suggested many times the founding of the United States is rooted in racism.in 2021. “Things were terrible. The founding of this nation? Awful.” He added:
But you know, we are here now. And we should commit ourselves to do everything we can do to repair the harm because it still exists today — the harm the damage — whether it was colonization or slavery. The impacts are felt today. And they are going to continue to be felt unless we address it in a meaningful way.
Barnes has gone so far as to criticize national parks as a part of the systemically racist fabric of America because the “parks are on land that was indigenous.” HeIt’s important to create more welcoming spaces because things haven’t always felt welcome. And that’s historical, just that perspective, given the fact that national parks weren’t made for the enjoyment of people who weren’t white. National parks are on land that was indigenous.
“I liken [CRT] to learning about science – like this is what it is, and people should know about it,” Barnes stated in 2021 about school curriculums. “My response is, you know, are you that ashamed of reality or that ashamed of the history that you want to make it [CRT] illegal for people to learn about it?”
Barnes is campaigning against Sen. Ron Johnson , who is leading in the polls by about four points. The midterm election is 41 days from Wednesday.