Walmart asks for a refund to a Republican senator who said she would attend a public hanging

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Walmart Inc. said it no longer supports Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, after a video of the Senator saying that she would sit at the forefront during the night. one asked for his return from campaign.

On November 27, Hyde-Smith will face Democrat Mike Espy, a former Congressman who was Secretary of Agriculture under President Bill Clinton, to retain his seat in the Senate. for health reasons.

In a tweet responding to actress "Will & Grace" Debra Messing and a group called Sleeping Giants, Walmart

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says: "Sen. Hyde-Smith's recent comments clearly do not reflect the values ​​of our company and associates. As a result, we withdraw our support and request reimbursement of all donations from the campaign. "

When he was contacted, a spokesman for Walmart responded by reiterating this statement.

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Walmart donated $ 1,000 to Hyde-Smith and $ 15 to Espy, according to OpenSecrets.org. For the 2018 mid-term election cycle, Walmart's total contributions amount to $ 2,192,402.

Hyde-Smith, who is seen in the short clip with a supporter, has since issued a statement: "In a comment of November 2, I mentioned the acceptance of an invitation to a pledge to speak," reads in response. "In referring to the one who invited me, I used an expression of exaggerated respect, and any attempt to turn that into a negative connotation is ridiculous."

Hyde-Smith has faced many negative public reactions, including from the NAACP.

"Hyde-Smith's decision to joke about" hanging "in a state known for its violent and terrorist history towards African Americans is sick," the group said in its own statement.

According to the NAACP, Mississippi had the largest number of lynchings from 1882 to 1968, with 581. At that time, there were 4,743 lynchings in the United States. Of these victims, 3,446 were black.

Hyde-Smith's opponent, Espy, is black.

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"Any politician seeking to become the national voice of the people of Mississippi should know more," wrote the NAACP. "His choice of words serves to impeach not only his lack of judgment, but also his lack of empathy and especially his lack of character."

The Republican Republic, Steve King of Iowa, has also been the target of racist criticism during the election season, losing the support of companies such as Land O 'Lakes, Purina and chip maker Intel Inc.

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King then won his seat in the House.

The Wall Street Journal quotes data showing that the Hyde-Smith race leans in its favor.