Republican Sen. Mark Kirk is under fire for mocking the heritage of his opponent, Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, during an Illinois debate Thursday night. After Duckworth spoke passionately about her family's track record of extensive military service, Kirk responded with an inaccurate and racially charged remark aimed at her connections with Thailand.
"I've bled for this nation," Duckworth said of her own service in Iraq, NPRreported. "But I still want to be there in the Senate when the drums of war sound. Because people are quick to sound the drums of war, and I want to be there to say this is what it costs, this is what you're asking us to do." When asked by the moderator to give a response, Kirk answered only with this:
"I'd forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington."
In addition to being offensive, NPRnotes the comment is also incorrect. Duckworth was born in Thailand to a Thai mother with Chinese heritage. Duckworth's father, an American, was a U.S. Marine and World War II veteran whose own heritage has been traced back to the American Revolution. Kirk's remarks were immediately met with backlash, with many deeming them just the latest act of racism from the GOP:
Kirk issued a brief apology Friday morning, calling Duckworth an "American hero" and thanking her family for their history of military service:
