Morgan Harper (left), Josh Mandel.Photo: Jay LaPrete/AP/Shutterstock; Jay LaPrete/AP/Shutterstock
A debate between two candidates for Senate went awry on Monday, as one of them sparred with an audience member and insulted the other candidate’s intelligence.
The event saw Republican Josh Mandel face off against Democrat Morgan Harper. But it quickly devolved as Mandel, whoseprovocative campaigning stylehas alreadymade headlines, began arguing with an attendee.
That’s when Mandel —currently leading the racefor the Republican nomination, per one poll, with many undecided voters — turned to the audience member, saying, “What do you mean, ‘Put him out?’ As in, with a bullet?”
Mandel continued, gesturing with his hands, “I thought this was America where we could debate freely.”
The audience member could then be heard telling the moderator not to “suck up” to Mandel, saying, “This is a Black community. He’s calling my parents ‘thugs.’ "
Elsewhere in the debate, Mandel said of his rival Harper, 38: “She’s like [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], only dumber,” an insult that elicited groans from the audience.
The former Ohio state treasurer was in the spotlight last year when, after he argued that Afghans fleeing the Taliban should not be granted refuge in the United States, it was reported that Mandel is himself the grandson of refugees himself.
In September, he compared refugees to alligators on Twitter,writing, “To all those journalists out there cheering on the welcoming of Afghan ‘refugees’: You can keep feeding the alligators, but eventually you will be eaten as well.”
Josh Mandel.Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call
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Two days later, Mandeltweetedthat the refuges could bring “child brides” or “COVID” into America, lateraddingthat “zero ‘refugees’ " should be welcomed in.
Meanwhile,Hillbilly Elegyauthor and venture capitalist J.D. Vance — who is also running as a Republican in the Ohio Senate race against Mandel and Harper —opted not to participatein the debate.
source: people.com
