Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris claimed Friday that the outrage surrounding former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 decision to kneel for the national anthem was orchestrated by Russian bots.
Harris told the Breakfast Club that “people have said” that criticism of Kaepernick was “not a thing,” and was the product of “Russian bots,” but did not provide any evidence to back up her assertions. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Claims To Have Listened To Snoop Dogg, Tupac)
“Many smart people have said it actually was not a thing,” she said of criticism of Kaepernick’s actions. “The Russian bots started taking that on.”
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) delivers listens as Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh appears for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 4, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The 2020 presidential candidate’s comment echoes the sentiment of many in her party who have blamed Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss on attempted Russian interference. (RELATED: Top Hillary Aide: ‘I Would Do An Ankle Dive At The Door’ If She Tried To Run Again)
However, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office did not find any evidence that Russia impacted the results of the last presidential election, or that anyone involved in President Donald Trump’s campaign coordinated with them.
A former state attorney general and prosecutor, Harris is widely considered to be one of the front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination. Recent polling shows Harris on the rise after the senator received praise for her performance in the first round of primary debates.