A former Hillary Clinton aide mocked Mitch McConnell for tumbling on stage in old “found footage” last week.
Critics quickly pointed out that McConnell is a polio survivor. Adam Parkhomenko, a former Clinton campaign strategist, refused to apologize even after learning that McConnell suffered a bout with the illness as a child that left him with lasting complications.
“Weird how we never hear about McConnell’s polio when he’s trying to take away people’s healthcare,” he said.
Clinton aide mocks McConnell’s disability
Parkhomenko shared video Wednesday of McConnell falling down as he walked on stage at a campaign event. The video featured theme music from Curb Your Enthusiasm to make light of McConnell’s condition.
Parkhomenko shared the old video, which he described as “found footage,” a second time on Thursday and urged followers to help spread it. The former Clinton aide joked at McConnell’s expense that the senate majority leader “does not want you to let this video get up to 1,000,000 views.”
Yesterday I posted this new found footage of Mitch McConnell standing up for America. 368,000 views overnight. Mitch McConnell does not want you to let this video get up to 1,000,000 views. pic.twitter.com/PZTGBGOrjt
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) April 4, 2019
The tweet prompted a swift, angry response from commentators across the political spectrum, with many observing that McConnell endured polio as a child. Many criticized the Clinton aide for commenting on something McConnell couldn’t control instead of his policy.
“It’s the result of a childhood illness, which you may not have known when you posted this. But now that you do, you should delete it. It’s cruel and unnecessary to mock people for disabilities,” tweeted CNN analyst Susan Hennessey.
Refuses to apologize
The 33-year old former Clinton campaign aide doubled down after being informed of McConnell’s disability. Parkhomenko, who also served as national field director for the Democratic National Committee in 2016, criticized journalists for “defending” McConnell, by which he apparently meant calling out his cruel remarks.
“Watching cap hill reporters run to Mitch McConnel’s defense explains how he’s been able to do all of the terrible things that he has done, including in the last 24 hours,” he said.
Parkhomenko said he would delete the tweet if McConnell “stops trying to take away coverage from those with pre-existing conditions.”
“Weird how we never hear about McConnell’s polio when he’s trying to take away people’s healthcare or looking the other way when Rand goes anti-vaxxer,” he wrote. “I will delete the tweet when Mitch stops trying to take away coverage from those with pre-existing conditions or…in general,” he added.
McConnell discussed his childhood bout with polio in a 1990 campaign ad. “When I was a child and my dad was in World War II, I got polio. I recovered, but my family almost went broke,” he said.
Rather unsurprisingly, Parkhomenko once endorsed disgraced porn lawyer Michael Avenatti for president, according to the Washington Examiner. Avenatti, who thanked “true patriot” Parkhomenko at the time, was recently charged with fraud and extortion.
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