Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch claimed this week that her opponent knelt during the national anthem at a public event. Kleefisch says she didn’t see it herself and couldn’t name any witnesses who did, but claimed it happened at an event last month. Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes says he didn’t kneel and that Kleefisch was lying about him. The exchange escalated a two-week-old dispute over the treatment of minorities and protests during the national anthem.
Kleefisch said on WTMJ-AM (620) “I was looking at the flag and not my opponent, and I was told later that he kneeled briefly and I repeated what someone else told me. And he has said that he didn’t do it and I have to believe him and I have to apologize for repeating something I was told.”
Barnes has said that he just wants to move on and talk about the issues.
