Sarah McBride says “politicians seeking to go viral” will not distract her from lowering costs
Democratic U.S. representative for Delaware, posting on her X account
“I am always so proud to represent Delaware and Delawareans. Nothing - and certainly not politicians seeking to go viral - will ever distract me from my laser focus on lowering the cost of gas, groceries, housing, childcare, and healthcare.”
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Posted the morning after the forum. It does not name Arminio or the forum. WHYY and The Hill report that McBride's office pointed reporters to it as her response, and WHYY and The Philadelphia Inquirer describe it as her statement on the incident.
Reporting
About this source
WHYY's report. It says the forum was co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Delaware and the Wilmington Chapter of Hadassah, quotes Katz's apology and statement, and says McBride's office referred it to her posted statement.
Reporting
About this source
The Hill's report. It quotes Arminio's opening remark and reports that McBride's office deferred to her Friday social media statement.
Before the quotation
The previous evening Arminio had been removed from the forum after using male terms for McBride. In her closing statement at the forum, McBride had referred to “politicians who want to create fights on petty, stupid things” and “people who want to go viral,” without naming Arminio. Her office referred WHYY and The Hill to this post rather than commenting further.
After the quotation
Arminio did not respond to requests for comment from WHYY, The Hill, The Philadelphia Inquirer or Spotlight Delaware at the time of their reports.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Did Joe Arminio’s misgendering of Sarah McBride warrant his removal from a Delaware candidate forum?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the case’s fixed reference point — Arminio’s use of male terms for McBride at the forum after correction and warning, and his removal for it — McBride’s post downplays the episode’s importance (“Nothing … will ever distract me”) and characterizes the conduct as seeking to go viral. It does not name Arminio or the forum; it is included because her office pointed reporters to it as her response, and WHYY and The Philadelphia Inquirer describe it as her statement on the incident. The closest competing label is explicitly_declines, because the post redirects to policy; it loses because the post also characterizes the conduct rather than only refusing to address it.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Joseph Arminio
Did Joe Arminio’s misgendering of Sarah McBride warrant his removal from a Delaware candidate forum?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“I strongly believe that when you allow people to show you who they are they will do so, and I think my opponent was showing himself to be not serious in this debate … I've dealt with people like that in Washington, I know what they're trying to do: They're trying to get attention [and] go viral … I have thick skin; I can handle things. That doesn't mean what he was doing or saying was right or appropriate... but I thought it was important to make clear that his removal from the stage was not a byproduct of my request.”Read statement
“treat everyone on stage with respect. … When a candidate declined to do so after a clear and public warning, the rules were applied — as they would have been for any candidate, of any party, on any subject.”Read statement
“When someone seeking public office is given an opportunity to correct his conduct, acknowledges his mistake, receives an explicit warning, and then repeats that conduct, it raises serious concerns about the standards we should expect from those who seek to represent us. … For these reasons, I am calling on Joseph Arminio to withdraw his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives.”Read statement