Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) unwittingly gave women a new rallying cry when he silenced Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Tuesday night.
“She was warned. She was given an explanation,” he said. “Nevertheless, she persisted.”
#ShePersisted almost immediately began trending on Twitter.
Warren had been attempting to read a letter written in 1986 by the late Coretta Scott King ― civil rights hero and widow of Martin Luther King Jr. ― that criticized Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), then a U.S. attorney who had been nominated for a federal judgeship.
McConnell invoked Rule XIX, which said: “No Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator.” King’s letter argued that, during Sessions’ time as a prosecutor in Alabama, he “used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens.”
‘Nevertheless, she persisted.’ It’s so poetic.
— rosanne cash (@rosannecash) February 8, 2017
“Nevertheless, she persisted.” Mitch McConnell just gave Elizabeth Warren the title of her autobiography, if not a line of T-shirts.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) February 8, 2017
“Nevertheless, she persisted” may be my first tattoo.
— Alex Beech (@alexbeech) February 8, 2017
Know who else was warned & given an explanation, yet persisted? Rosa Parks. Susan B Anthony. Harriet Tubman. Malala Yousafzai. #shepersisted
— Emily Clasper (@eclasper) February 8, 2017
Let’s slow the beat down:
Mitch McConnell
Told an elected woman
Reading Corretta Scott King
To shut up
And take a seat.#ShePersisted— Tom Watson (@tomwatson) February 8, 2017
“Nevertheless she persisted” is the contemptible lament of every old white man who has tried and failed to silence an indomitable woman.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) February 8, 2017
Does Mitch McConnell understand that “Nevertheless she persisted” is now a rallying cry? That he unwittingly has strengthened our resolve?
— Leslie Grossman (@MissLeslieG) February 8, 2017
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless she persisted.”
Straight out of the domestic violence handbook. #letlizspeak— Zac (@mrv3rtig0) February 8, 2017
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted ” is basically the story of all female progress through history
— Camila Londono (@drClondono) February 8, 2017
Meet my fists. She & Persisted.
— Laurie Crosswell 🌞 (@lauriecrosswell) February 8, 2017
* the sound of a million women updating their Twitter bios to read, “Nevertheless, she persisted” *
— Catherine Andrews (@candrews) February 8, 2017
She persisted. Tearing me up. Twitter you can be so beautiful. ✌️
— Leslie Liberatore (@hotskillet) February 8, 2017
‘Nevertheless she persisted’ – a new badge of honour for bloody difficult women everywhere.
— Angela Patrick (@Angela__Patrick) February 8, 2017
“Nevertheless, she persisted.” Please let this also be my life’s legacy.
— Olivia M (@oliviawithheart) February 8, 2017
“NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED.” — every woman’s epitaph now
— Emily Mitchell (@emilyreads) February 8, 2017
