The National Republican Senatorial Committee is under fire after sending an unfortunate tweet about Congresswoman and U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Duckworth.
“Tammy Duckworth has a sad record of not standing up for our veterans,” the tweet read.
Duckworth lost both of her legs while serving in Iraq in 2004, after the Black Hawk helicopter she was flying was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
The tweet was quickly deleted and reposted under another the caption: “Duckworth turned her back on reports of VA wrongdoing.”
Duckworth turned her back on reports of VA wrongdoing. #ILSen https://t.co/wGFd0kIb96 pic.twitter.com/XVXmM1lurt
— Senate Republicans (@NRSC) March 8, 2016
The NRSC did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment but in a statement to Politico, spokeswoman Andrea Bozek said,”It would be great if reporters would pay as much attention to a deleted tweet as they should to Tammy Duckworth being sued by VA whistleblowers for ignoring claims of mistreatment and corruption.”
The tweet got deleted, but here it is: pic.twitter.com/lQz2WVZK48
— Steven Rich (@dataeditor) March 8, 2016
The unfortunate tweet set the Twitterverse on fire, with Duckworth’s name trending briefly on the social media network on Tuesday afternoon.
INCREDIBLE – @GOP attacking @tammyduckworth for not standing up for vets. She lost BOTH legs in Iraq! pic.twitter.com/JbY2TPlvuY
— MadmanAcrossTheWater/BorderCollieGuy? (@brent_kellogg) March 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/Olinecoacher/status/707341883048136704
https://twitter.com/KenyattaYamel/status/707343084561031168
Tammy Duckworth may not have legs but at least she has a soul. Shame on you GOP!
— D.J. McKay (@BGStJohn) March 8, 2016
@NRSC wow…that Tammy Duckworth tweet shows how little the GOP respects our vets. Shameful #ImWithHer
— Brian (@bpt326) March 8, 2016
@NRSC /GOP pretty cowardly to post the tweet about @RepDuckworth, as an OIF veteran too, we expect better from our "leaders." Shame on you
— Julie Glover (@PAJG2006) March 8, 2016
Duckworth is running against Andrea Zopp and State Senator Napoleon Harris for the Illinois U.S. Senate seat. The primaries are on March 15.