ELECTION/GOP/RACISM/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump spoke up for a Republican senator Tuesday [11-20-18] facing a runoff election and fierce criticism after making a joke about a ‘public hanging.’ Trump said he plans to hold at least two campaign events, possibly even a third, to support Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in her runoff against Democrat Mike Espy…Trump was asked about the controversy surrounding Hyde-Smith. She has been criticized for both her recent comments that she’d be glad to attend a ‘public hanging’ for a friend and a video that appeared to show Hyde-Smith supporting voter suppression…The ‘hanging’ comment quickly went viral, with critics saying it conjured up images of lynchings and Mississippi’s racist past. Her opponent, Espy, is African-American. Democrats have also accused Hyde-Smith of supporting voter suppression, citing a video in which she can be heard saying that ‘maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult’ for some people to vote, and ‘so I think that’s a great idea.'”
–Christal Hayes, “Trump: ‘It’s a shame’ Mississippi senator is being criticized over ‘hanging’ comment,” USA Today, November 20, 2018 6:21 pm