Politics

Big-Name Democrats Call On Northam To Resign Following Racist Yearbook Photo Controversy

Elizabeth_Warren--Official_113th_Congressional_Portrait--

Several big-name Democratic politicians are calling on Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to resign following a racist picture that appeared on a page set aside for him in his 1984 medical school yearbook.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand were some of the Democrats who called on Northam to step down. The picture showed one person wearing blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan costume in Northam’s section of the yearbook.

These racist images are deeply disturbing. Hatred and discrimination have no place in our country and must not be tolerated, especially from our leaders – Republican or Democrat. Northam must resign.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 2, 2019

These images arouse centuries of anger, anguish, and racist violence and they’ve eroded all confidence in Gov. Northam’s ability to lead. We should expect more from our elected officials. He should resign.

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 2, 2019

There aren’t two sets of rules for our friends and our foes: Right is right and wrong is wrong. Americans deserve to be respected by their leaders, and racism cannot be excused in our government or anywhere else. Having seen the photo, I believe Governor Northam should resign.

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 2, 2019

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who will be running for president in 2020, said Northam must resign if he cannot “win back” trust in a tweet Saturday. She added, however, that there needs to be space for people to “evolve away from hatred and bigotry.”

We also need to take firm responsibility for our actions and the pain caused, and make amends. If Governor @RalphNortham cannot win back the trust of his constituents, he must resign.

— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) February 2, 2019

Gabbard previously called on Congress to take “action immediately” to censure Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King over his questions on how the terms “white nationalist” and “white supremacist” became offensive.

Steve King’s comments and views are outrageous, offensive and must be condemned. Congress must take action immediately and pass a resolution to censure him. https://t.co/HcDjir2rmm

— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) January 12, 2019

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also called out King, but had not tweeted about Northam at the time of reporting.

At this point those who use the terms “racially tinged” or “racially charged” to describe white supremacy should be prepared to explain why they chose to employ those terms instead of “racist”/”racism.”

If the answer is their own discomfort, they’re protecting the wrong people.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 12, 2019

As of Saturday evening, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted the following:

Northam must resign, and those who try to help him stumble past this deserve scrutiny.

If you can’t understand how painful + eroding this is to American society, let alone the state of Virginia, take some time to read up this weekend.

To start, try “Between the World and Me.” https://t.co/Fm0srrPZgN

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 3, 2019

Northam apologized for the picture appearing in the Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook Friday, but then denied being in the picture in a Saturday press conference.

Warren, Booker, Gabbard, Ocasio-Cortez and Gillibrand did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

UPDATE: This article has been updated to show Ocasio-Cortez’s comments on Northam.

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