A California congressional candidate who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and routinely turns her back on the American flag believes her Democratic opponent is collaborating with Republicans.
Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang accused incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui of “boosting a MAGA Republican” in the race to edge Vai out of the top-two primary — claiming that the recent fury over the Pledge is tied to the effort.
Vang’s campaign cited Matsui featuring a blog entry about GOP challenger Zachariah Wooden, who the post notes has a “record of serving the community” and “fighting to advance Trump’s policies.”
Kevin Liao, spokesperson for the Matsui campaign, told the Sacramento Bee that the post was meant to contrast Matsui with “extreme Republican ideas.”
But Vang’s camp says it’s a move to elevate Wooden and bump the councilwoman out of the primary so Matsui has a better chance of claiming victory in November.
“Days before the upcoming primary, Matsui loaned herself $1.4 million and steered her aligned super PACs to bankroll and boost a MAGA Republican by any means necessary,” Vang told the Bee, which endorsed her over Matsui, when asked about the controversy.
“These disgusting and deceptive tactics fuel the worst of our politics, undermine trust in our institutions, and distract from the issues impacting everyday people,” Vang added.
Vang, who has been called the “AOC of the Central Valley,” has received intense criticism for regularly turning her back on the American flag during council meetings and other events.
“It’s ‘Patriotism 101,’ you say the Pledge of Allegiance even if you don’t agree with everything,” Steve Maviglio, a Democratic political consultant in Sacramento, previously told The California Post.
Vang says she uses the Pledge of Allegiance to “ground herself” and contemplate “the injustices and harm that continue to affect so many, both locally and across the globe, under this nation’s influence.”
“We must not tune out — they want us to become numb to the realities we see in the news — it’s part of the plan to keep us complacent. But instead, we resist. We surround ourselves with loved ones, take time to rest, remain vigilant, and stay steadfast in the fight for equity, justice & humanity,” she wrote in a social media post.
Wooden previously blasted Vang’s refusal to salute the flag as “malicious.”
“To hear that somebody wants to be a sitting member of US Congress and appears to be disinterested in the major symbols of American pride and what it means to be an American, it’s not just disappointing — it’s malicious,” he told The Post.
“A lot of her rhetoric is a rejection of our basic American values.”
Vang will take on Wooden and Matsui in the June 2 primary for California’s 7th congressional district.
Matsui has served the district since her late husband and longtime incumbent, Bob, died in 2005.
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