Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler says BLM is a political movement tearing the country apart

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler continued to criticize the WNBA’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement, calling the group a political movement which is tearing the nation apart.

Loeffler, who is part-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, criticized the league’s announced support of the movement while at a campaign stop in Cherokee County Wednesday.

“I’m not going to let a political movement, which is what the Black Lives Matter movement is, tear our country apart,” Loeffler said. “I want to feel like I speak for Americans who don’t have a voice, who feel like they’re going to be canceled if they speak out against a political movement.”

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Loeffler said the league should not insert politics into sports.

But the WNBA responded with a tweeted statement which read in part, “the WNBA is based on the principle of equal and fair treatment of all people and we, along with the teams and players, will continue to use our platforms to vigorously advocate for social justice.”

The WNBA’s players’ union tweeted a message calling for her to be ousted as Dream co-owner.

Loeffler’s Democratic rival for Senate, Rev. Rapahel Warnock, said her failure to support the movement is a failure in leadership.

“Now, she’s responding to this crisis by picking a fight with the Black Lives Matter movement in order to serve her own political interest,” Warnock said. “I think that the people of Georgia need leaders who are focused on them.”

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Loeffler’s Republican rival, Rep. Doug Collins, didn’t think her criticism went far enough.

“Where’s she been the whole time she’s owned the team?” Collins asked. “She wants to portray herself as a conservative, but yet, when the WNBA was supporting Planned Parenthood, she didn’t have a problem sharing the ticket sharing profits with them.”

Loeffler maintains she is a “passive” owner of the team and has not yet made any decisions about potentially selling her share.

People calling on Johns Creek police chief to resign over comments on Black Lives Matter movement The chief has said he supports black lives but not the movement.

Cox Media Group