Former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Wednesday that Democrats need to be as tough as Republicans to win more elections.
“Michelle [Obama] always says ’When they go low, we go high.’ No. No. When they go low, we kick them,” he said as the crowd cheered.
Mr. Holder’s comments came as he was speaking at an event to promote Stacy Abrams, the Democrat nominee for Georgia’s gubernatorial race.
Mr. Holder stressed that this New Democratic Party is “proud as hell” and has to be willing to fight.
“The reality is if we don’t win, people that are less committed, less idealistic, less imbued with the values that make this nation really great will run this country,” Mr. Holder said.
He said that if Ms. Abrams was elected governor it would send a message to President Trump and the nation to reject “negativism” and “all the racial games they’re trying to play.”
Republican Sen. Cory Gardner pushed back against Mr. Holder’s comments on Twitter, relating it to the violent threats aimed at his wife and other Republican colleagues especially in the last few weeks.
“This is not who we are,” Mr. Gardner, Colorado Republican, tweeted.
You have other party leaders saying Michelle Obama was wrong when she said “when they go low we go high.” But rather when they go low “we kick them.” This is not who we are.
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) October 10, 2018
On Tuesday, former Secretary of State and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said that “civility can start again” when Democrats retake control in Congress.
“You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for,” she said in an interview.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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