The former State Department spokesperson and Fox News contributor thought she had an inside track on running for Congress by moving to Tennessee after her time in Trump's White House and working for Mike Pompeo. Alas, it was not to be as Tennessee Republicans don't take kindly to carpetbaggers and found some novel ways to keep her and a few others off their ballot.
Ortagus made local headlines in March when she scored a big ZERO in a talk radio quiz about the district she wanted to represent.
Ortagus was none too pleased with the decision to remove her from the primary ballot.
Source: NBC News
The Tennessee Republican Party voted Tuesday to remove former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus and two other people from the August primary ballot in the state's 5th Congressional District.
The vote marked the culmination of months of effort by both GOP legislators and activists to boot Ortagus because she had only recently moved to the state. She was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
"I am deeply disappointed in the SEC’s decision," Ortagus said in a statement, referring to the party’s State Executive Committee. "I’m a bonafide Republican by their standards, and frankly, by any metric. I’m further disappointed that the party insiders at the Tennessee Republican Party do not seem to share my commitment to President Trump’s America First policies.
"As I have said all along, I believe that voters in Middle Tennessee should pick their representative — not establishment party insiders," she continued. "Our team is evaluating the options before us."
One Tennessee Republican opined that the only reason Ortagus had gotten Trump's endorsement was that she's a Jew.
"I don’t think Trump cares one way or the other," he said. "I think Jared Kushner — he’s Jewish, she’s Jewish — I think Jared will be upset. Ivanka will be upset. I don’t think Trump cares."
In response, Ortagus said in a statement that Niceley "should be ashamed of his repeated anti-Semitic rhetoric," adding she is "incredibly proud to call myself a part of the Jewish people."
"I will condemn anyone who traffics in this hate-mongering," she added. "Senator Niceley’s repulsive words could not be more clear in disparaging the Jewish people. This racism cannot stand."
Sen. Frank Nicely is also the same guy who last week made the Hitler reference as a former homeless person who made good. So it goes in Tennessee.
