A Democratic member of the Missouri legislature took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to criticize Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) for failing black people, according to the Kansas City Star.
The criticism came from state senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who grabbed headlines last year by publicly stating her desire for President Donald Trump to be assassinated. She said her constituents don't view McCaskill—or white Democrats on the whole—as a better option for them than Republicans.
"Neither one of them give a heck about the black community, only the votes," Chappelle-Nadal said.
Chappelle-Nadal's one recommendation for how McCaskill could repair her reputation with the state's black voters was for her to fight for reparations, according to the report.
Audio of the remarks captured by Missouri Rising can be heard below:
"I have a whole lot of people who don't like Claire McCaskill at all who are African American," Chappelle-Nadal said.
Chappelle-Nadal said she gets complaints from constituents that McCaskill uses "token individuals" to say she's helping the African American community when she is doing little.
Chappelle-Nadal's criticism comes a day after a black activist and community organizer in St. Louis complained that McCaskill had been ignoring his requests for a meeting.
"In July 2017, I requested a meeting with U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill to discuss several issues of concern to the St. Louis community," wrote Walle Amusa in the St. Louis American, a weekly African-American paper. "For five months, the McCaskill campaign ignored the request. Then her campaign manager, David Kirby, played footsies, scheduling, cancelling, and finally refusing to respond to requests to confirm the meeting for the date and time that he suggested."
Amusa goes on to suggest that racism could be at the root of why the meeting still hasn't taken place nearly a year after it was originally requested.
"I know there are many good people in the Missouri Democratic Party. But I also know that racism is stronger than religion. And the Missouri Democratic Party is not immune. I renew my request for a meeting with McCaskill or a public explanation as to why she expects me, my family, friends and community to vote for her if she cannot sit down, meet and discuss issues of urgent concern to this community."
Other state Democrats have warned McCaskill that her efforts to win over rural white voters could burn her support in minority communities come November.