Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has had a difficult time raising funds for her 2020 presidential run, and she claimed Wednesday that it’s because she stood up to former Democratic Minnesota Sen. Al Franken.
During an appearance on ABC’s “The View,” Gillibrand argued that her willingness to take a stand against a member of her own party had caused some of the bigger donors to look away.
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When Franken was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior in 2017 — which ultimately resulted in his resignation from the Senate — Gillibrand was one of the first to break ranks with the rest of her party and call for him to step down.
Co-host Joy Behar brought up the topic, saying that she had always liked Franken and was sorry to see him go.
“Your campaign has said that your fundraising has suffered. They think it’s a backlash against your decision to lead the call for Al Franken to resign after the allegations of sexual misconduct … Do you think the democratic voters are going to turn on you for this?” Behar asked. (RELATED: 2020 Democratic Hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand Can’t Even Get Her Home Delegation To Back Her)
“No, I don’t. I think there are a few influential and powerful democratic donors and elites who are angry about it. If they’re going to be angry about me standing up for women who were groped, that’s on them,” Gillibrand shrugged, then turned to the audience and added, “If you believe that standing up for women is important in this country, go to kirstengillibrand.com, and support this campaign.”
The most recent polling data, according to RealClearPolitics, has former Vice President Joe Biden leading and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as his closest competitor. Gillibrand is at the bottom of the list, rating 1% or less in the polls.