Michigan Senate candidate faces backlash over beer-throw remark about Supreme Court justices

A Michigan Senate candidate drew online backlash after a resurfaced clip captured her saying there would be beers thrown if she encountered conservative Supreme Court justices at a tailgate. The remarks, she made at a supporters event last month, referenced Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Brett Kavanaugh and quickly circulated among conservative commentators and media outlets.

In the video, Mallory McMorrow, a former Michigan state senator who is mounting a campaign in the Democratic primary for the state’s open Senate seat, noted that she graduated from Notre Dame—the same school as Barrett. She said Barrett’s background “makes me very sad,” and then described a hypothetical scenario in which she would be unable to restrain herself if she saw Barrett and Kavanaugh at a tailgate, adding that “there would be beers thrown in people's faces.” The remarks were reported by Daily Mail, which published the clip and referenced it as resurfaced from remarks McMorrow made at a November event. A request for comment from McMorrow’s campaign was reported by the outlet, though it was unclear whether she had responded publicly at the time of publication.

Reaction to the clip spread quickly on right-leaning social media and in conservative commentary. Former Indiana congressman David M. McIntosh reposted the video and wrote that it was “impossible for a Democrat candidate to not be a crazed and violent radical.” Conservative journalist Mollie Hemingway said the remarks reflected a broader pattern she attributed to Democratic figures, while New York Post columnist Kirsten Fleming criticized McMorrow personally, saying she would “rather share a beer with someone she disagreed with than throw it at them.” Others weighed in with harsher assessments: conservative writer AG Hamilton urged McMorrow to seek professional help, and the American Association of Retired Republicans questioned whether she possessed the temperament to serve in the U.S. Senate.

The episode feeds into a broader discourse surrounding rhetoric toward the Supreme Court since last year. The Daily Mail, which first published the resurfaced remarks, noted the clip’s circulation as McMorrow’s campaign grapples with image concerns ahead of a high-stakes race in a state that has become a focal point in national political battles. It also highlighted prior coverage of McMorrow’s appearances at political events, including a unity dinner in October during which a sign reading “MAGA=NAZI” was reportedly displayed, along with other attendees holding the numbers “86 47,” expressions associated with anti-Trump messaging circulating at the time. Fox Digital and other outlets cited the headlining performance and the imagery used at that event as indicative of heated rhetoric among some Democrats.

McMorrow’s campaign profile portrays her as a veteran lawmaker and author who has positioned herself as a staunch Democratic voice. She served in the Michigan State Senate from 2019 to 2023 and later published a book titled Hate Won’t Win: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better than You Found It. The candidate, 39 years old, has framed her platform around resilience and democratic values, describing herself on her campaign site as a “Democrat with a backbone.” Her past tenure and published work have become focal points for supporters and critics alike as she seeks the party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate in a state that has become a political battleground in national debates over reform, elections, and the judiciary.

Beyond McMorrow’s remarks, national observers have noted a charged climate surrounding discussions of violence and political disagreement. An analysis published by The Conversation has suggested that most domestic terrorism in the United States has political roots on the right and that right-wing extremism has caused more fatalities than left-wing violence since 2001. The analysis also indicated that left-wing extremism accounts for roughly 10 percent of politically motivated violence in that period. While the study is not a direct assessment of individual politicians, it has been cited in debates about the tone and consequences of political rhetoric as campaigns navigate deeply polarized electorates.

As the campaign trail moves forward, Daily Mail reports and other outlets indicated they had reached out to McMorrow for comment, but it remained unclear whether the candidate had issued a statement by publication time. The incident illustrates how a single clip can become a flashpoint in an ongoing primary, drawing sustained scrutiny from both supporters and opponents as McMorrow seeks to distinguish herself in a crowded field ahead of Michigan’s primary season.