Arizona Senate candidate doubles down attacking opponent over Taliban comments

by Megan Keller - 10/21/18 12:23 PM ET

Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) on Sunday doubled down on her criticism of a 2003 comment made by her Democratic opponent in the Arizona Senate race, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, about the Taliban.

“It’s totally out of step with American values. When she clearly says in this radio interview that she has no problem with an American going to join the Taliban,” McSally told “Fox News Sunday.”

“And look Chris, this is personal, for those of us who served and actually fought against the Taliban,” added McSally, an Air Force veteran.

{mosads}CNN reported that Sinema in 2003 responded to a radio host’s hypothetical question about joining the Taliban army by saying, “Fine, I don’t care if you want to do that, go ahead.”

McSally attacked Sinema for the comment during a debate last week, calling it “treason” and demanding an apology.

Sinema accused McSally of “engaging in ridiculous attacks and smearing my campaign.”

She told The New York Times, “Martha has chosen a very low road” with the attacks.

McSally did not repeat her “treason” attack on Fox News but said the comment shows Sinema is “disqualified” to be in the Senate.

“I was a squadron commander over there with my A-10 squadron,” McSally said Sunday. “We were getting shot at by the Taliban. The Taliban was killing Americans.”

“Kyrsten Sinema was protesting right after 9/11, any military action against terrorists. She was protesting later in a pink tutu,” McSally said, repeating attacks she also made in the lone debate for the Senate race. “She was leading … multiple protests. Inviting anarchists, socialists, others.”

She added that Sinema handed out flyers at “her protests” depicting American soldiers “as skeletons and saying we’re the ones conducting terror in the Middle East,” which was also reported by CNN.

“This has been a pattern of my opponent for many years, where she has been a radical left activist … very much against our military,” McSally said. “These are the facts that need to come out in this campaign.”