Hillary Clinton took to Twitter early Friday to stick up for Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) a day after Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) questioned her American heritage.
“Thankful for @TammyforIL’s—and her family’s—service to this country. It’s really not that hard to grasp, @MarkKirk,” Clinton tweeted.
{mosads}During a debate between the Senate candidates on Thursday, Kirk drew criticism for his reply to Duckworth’s remarks about her family history.
Answering a question on Middle East policy, Duckworth — an Iraq War veteran — detailed her family’s military service going back to the American Revolution.
“I forgot that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington,” Kirk responded.
Duckworth’s mother is an immigrant from Thailand, and her father is a World War II veteran.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called for Kirk to apologize, and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign manager criticized Kirk’s remark in a tweet.
Kirk, considered one of the most vulnerable incumbent senators facing reelection, trails Duckworth by 7 points in the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.