Elaine Chao, the wife of Mitch McConnell, responds to former United States President Donald Trump's racist attacks and claims that she was involved in the classified documents scandal surrounding President Joe Biden.
Despite the Republican businessman's frequent criticism of Chao, calling her "Coco Chow" or a variation of McConnell's "China-loving wife," she has kept mostly silent. But now, after the latest attacks, the woman who once served in Trump's cabinet finally speaks out.
Elaine Chao Responds to Trump's Racist Attacks
Chao said that when she was young, some people deliberately misspelled or mispronounced her name. She added that Asian Americans had worked tirelessly to change that experience for the next generation. In a statement, she argued that Trump did not seem to understand, which she claims "says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans."
The remarks are a scarce instance of the former Transportation Secretary dipping her feet into the political thicket that Trump laid following the end of his administration. The statements suggest discomfort with the former president's anti-Asian rhetoric, and it has reached a new level amid several high-profile shootings that had Asian American victims, as per Politico.
At least half a dozen instances of Trump taking to his Truth Social media platform to criticize McConnell's leadership. He also suggested, among other things, that he is conflicted due to Chao's connection to China. In a message last fall that Republican and Democratic lawmakers widely viewed as a threat, Trump said McConnell "has a DEATH WISH."
However, personal attacks against Chao were a cut above the rest, both due to their overt racism and the relatively little pushback that they received. In the rare moments that the former Transportation Secretary was asked about the comments, she urged reporters not to amplify the remarks.
Furthermore, other Republican lawmakers dismissed the attacks as Trump simply being himself, with Sen. Rick Scott of Florida saying that the former president just liked to give people nicknames.
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Rift Between Trump and McConnell
The remarks on Wednesday were the latest developments in the rupture between Trump and a key insider in the GOP. In a statement, Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman, said that people should stop feigning outrage and engaging in controversies that only exist inside their heads, according to the Washington Post.
Chao served as Trump's transportation secretary for four years and announced her resignation following the Capitol Hill riot. Her father, James S.C. Chao, is notable for founding a successful international shipping company.
The Republican immigrated to the United States from Taiwan when she was only eight years old and did not know how to speak English. She later studied and graduated from Harvard Business School before getting a job as a transportation banker.
Chao and her husband have primarily avoided responding to the former president's comments and sometimes racist attacks. She said it would be helpful if the media did not repeat Trump's racist tweet. The former transportation secretary added that if the former president used the N-word or any other word, it would not be reported, said The Hill.
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