Getty Images Walmart says it no longer supports Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who has come under fire for comments made on the campaign trail
Walmart Inc. said it no longer supports Republican Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith after a video of the senator saying she would sit in the “front row” of “public hanging” went viral, and the retail giant has asked for its campaign donation back.
Hyde-Smith is facing a runoff on Nov. 27 against Democrat Mike Espy to hold on to her Senate seat, one that she was appointed to in April after Thad Cochran stepped down for health reasons.
In a tweet responding to the “Will & Grace” actress Debra Messing and a group called Sleeping Giants, Walmart WMT, -2.46% said, “Sen. Hyde-Smith’s recent comments clearly do not reflect the values of our company and associates. As a result we are withdrawing our support and requesting a refund of all campaign donations.”
When reached for comment, a Walmart spokesperson replied with that statement.
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Hi Debra. Completely understand your concern. Sen. Hyde-Smith’s recent comments clearly do not reflect the values of our company and associates. As a result, we are withdrawing our support and requesting a refund of all campaign donations.
— Walmart (@Walmart) November 20, 2018
Walmart has donated $1,000 to Hyde-Smith and $15 to Espy, according to OpenSecrets.org. For the 2018 election cycle, Walmart’s total contributions were $2,192,402.
Hyde-Smith, who is seen in the short clip with a supporter, has since released a statement.
“In a comment on Nov. 2, I referred to accepting an invitation to a speaking engagement,” the response reads. “In referencing the one who invited me, I used an exaggerated expression of regard, and any attempt to turn this into a negative connotation is ridiculous.”
Sen. Hyde-Smith has received widespread public backlash for the remark, including from the NAACP.
“Hyde-Smith’s decision to joke about ‘hanging’ in a state known for its violent and terroristic history toward African Americans is sick,” the group said in its own statement.
According to the NAACP, Mississippi had the highest number of lynchings from 1882 to 1968 with 581. In that time, there were 4,743 lynchings in the United States. Of those victims, 3,446 of them were Black.
Hyde-Smith’s opponent is Black.
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“Any politician seeking to serve as the national voice of the people of Mississippi should know better,” the NAACP wrote. “Her choice of words serves as an indictment of not only her lack of judgment, but her lack of empathy, and most of all lack of character.”
Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa also came under fire this election season for racist remarks, losing support from companies including Land O’ Lakes, Purina and chip maker Intel Inc. INTC, -0.67%
King went on to win his House seat.
The Wall Street Journal quotes data showing Hyde-Smith’s race is leaning in her favor.
