The Louisville home of Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was vandalized following his blocking of a push for larger stimulus payments to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Messages like “Mitch kills poor” and “Weres [sic] my money” were spray painted across the front façade of McConnell’s house in the Highlands neighborhood Saturday morning.
Earlier in the week,McConnell blocked a bill passed by the Democratic-led House that would have boosted stimulus checks in the latest COVID-19 relief package from $600 to $2,000.
He called the larger payments supported by Democrats and President Donald Trump “socialism for rich people.” Because the Senate adjourned Friday, the issue will now go before the next Congress.
In a statement, McConnell criticized the vandalism as a “radical tantrum.”
“I appreciate every Kentuckian who has engaged in the democratic process whether they agree with me or not,” McConnell said. “This is different. Vandalism and the politics of fear have no place in our society. My wife and I have never been intimidated by this toxic playbook.”
A spokesperson for McConnell did not immediately respond to questions about whether the senator was home at the time.
Dwight Mitchell with Louisville Metro Police said the vandalism at McConnell's home included "minor damage of graffiti on a window and door" and happened around 5 a.m. Saturday morning. He said LMPD's 5th Division is investigating and they don't currently have any suspects.
On Twitter, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the act was "unacceptable."
"While the First Amendment protects our freedom of speech, vandalism is reprehensible and never acceptable for any reason," he tweeted.
The vandalism to @senatemajldr McConnell’s home is unacceptable. While the First Amendment protects our freedom of speech, vandalism is reprehensible and never acceptable for any reason. ^AB
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) January 2, 2021
The San Francisco home of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who supports the larger stimulus checks, was also vandalized recently. According to the Bay Area’s KPIX, a spray-painted message on Pelosi’s garage door read, “$2K cancel rent” and “We want everything.” The station also reported that there was a severed pig’s head in front of her garage.
This story has been updated.
