The false information surrounding Kathy Barnette amid her rapid surge in Pennsylvania's closely watched U.S. Senate race is at a fever pitch. While UncoverDC is not endorsing a candidate, it is critical that voters receive accurate information in any election.
Recently, questions have persisted about Barnette's past, including if she was an adjunct professor as she claimed to have been. Likewise, clipped portions of past videos are being shared to suggest the wife and mother of two supports Black Lives Matter and defunding the police.
On Friday, UncoverDC spoke with Mary Dulabaum, the Director of Marketing and Communications at Judson University, who confirmed that Kathy Barnette was indeed an adjunct professor "in high standing" at the school. The confirmation shoots down the reckless accusation trending on Twitter that Barnette was not an adjunct professor.
Kathy Barnette, Facebook: "During my 10 years in the military, I began to fully understand why America is the greatest nation in the world and why we must defend her. I love this country and will continue to serve her and YOU as your next U.S. Senator."
Barnette, who lost in 2020 to Democrat incumbent Madeleine Dean in the race for Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District, shared her firmly held views in the months leading up to the Nov. 2, 2020, election. One such moment was a live Facebook video she recorded on July 13, 2020. Short, strategically cut clips from that video are circulating on Twitter to paint Barnette (who used the hashtags #BLM and #DeFundThePolice when sharing her video to get people's attention and spread her message) in an unfavorable light.
The video begins with Barnette reacting to the shooting death of a 1-year-old child while he was with his mother and family at a park. As Barnette grieves for the tragic loss of the child while recording the video, she declares, "This is craziness, what we are watching right now. We have these thugs, these so-called activists. We have these spineless leaders that are playing with people's lives." Clearly against defunding the police and the violence associated with the BLM movement, Barnette went on to say:
"Defunding the police is stupid, people. Abolishing the police is stupid, people. Black people—do not fall for the Okie Doke. Do not fall for these white liberals who are coming into our communities and telling us we need to remove law enforcement because, let me tell you; they have the money to pay for private security.
Our "black lives matter net global network incorporated" does not care about my black life. It does not care about the black lives of those who are just trying to work, who are trying to provide for their family, and who are keeping their nose clean. [Or those] who just want to be able to take their black child across the street, to the park, with the rest of their black family. This is stupid. All of it, all of it is stupid.
Changing names on football teams... how does that improve my black life? Painting graffiti or murals on the street and on walls? How does that improve my black life? How does that get me and my family good jobs? How does that make sure that we can walk outside of our home without being shot in the head? How does that do anything to make sure that I can send my babies off to college?"
Similarly, in another attempt to portray Barnette as a BLM supporter, a short snippet was taken from the first part of another video she recorded in 2020. As displayed in the full video in the tweet below, Barnette has repeatedly denounced BLM, calling the riots "parasitic behavior."
tPqaw8A8pvCjZeTtapcCFQ
With the election next Tuesday, Barnette's unexpected and sudden surge in the polls puts her straight up against David McCormick and Mehmet Oz, who received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump on Apr. 9, 2022. On May 12, Trump issued a statement opposing Barnette.
Barnette responded to Trump's statement while speaking to conservative broadcasters Thursday night. On "The Water Cooler with David Brody," she remarked, "It sounds like the president knows what's going to happen on next Tuesday." She also criticized the wealth and questioned the credentials of campaign rivals Oz and hedgefund CEO David McCormick, stating:
"We now have the opportunity where the people are making their voices heard on what kind of leadership they want—and they don't want to be spoon-fed two globalists, as many influencers within the Republican Party are trying to sell us, they want a real conservative."
Barnette, who has the support of Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, has been gaining momentum on the campaign trail despite being outspent by her two closest challengers, raising just $1.7 million compared to McCormick's $15.9 million and Oz's $15 million campaign coffers.
A new poll by Trafalgar Group puts Kathy Barnette ahead of Dave McCormick and behind Mehmet Oz for the GOP Pennsylvania Senate race less than a week before the May 17 primary. Nearly 23% of likely Republican voters said they would vote for the political commentator from Montgomery County if the election were held today, a five-point jump from April polling numbers. The poll puts Oz, also of Montgomery County, up two points from last month to 25% and McCormick, Allegheny County, with no change over last month at 22%.
Candidates for the Republican primary for U.S. Senate are, clockwise from top left: Mehmet Oz; Carla Sands; Jeff Bartos; George Bochetto; Kathy Barnette; David McCormick; and Sean Gale
Barnette's jump in the polls follows Trump's rally in Westmoreland County, where numerous news organizations reported a mixed reception for Oz. Oz's past claims against states restricting abortion access and his dual citizenship with Turkey, where his mother still lives, have been a growing focus of political attacks as the primary draws near. Barnette explains why she is running, stating on her website:
"I’m running for office because good people have sat on the sidelines for far too long. As a result, we’ve created a vacuum that is being filled by despotic and debased individuals. If these past two years have taught us anything, they’ve taught us a very important lesson about what types of leaders we need. Now more than ever, America requires strong, authentic Republican voices to stand up and defend the U.S. Constitution and the rights we hold dear. I will be that voice — for Pennsylvania and our great nation."
