Covington Grad Nick Sandmann Joins Mitch McConnell’s Campaign

Nick Sandmann from Covington Catholic High School stands in front of Native American activist Nathan Phillips while the latter bangs a drum in his face in Washington on Jan. 18, 2019. Kaya Taitano via Reuters

Nick Sandmann, the Kentucky teen who was subjected to negative press coverage in a viral video, has joined Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) reelection campaign.

“We’re excited to have Nicholas on Team Mitch,” Team Mitch Campaign Manager Kevin Golden said in a statement to media outlets on Friday. “Along with our already strong team, his efforts to bring people together all across Kentucky will be critical to Senator McConnell’s victory this November.”

On Thursday, Sandmann appeared to hint the news, posting to his Twitter “finally got to add more to my bio than just my schools.” McConnell’s campaign responded to the post, stating “Welcome to #TeamMitch!”

Sandmann, who will remain a student at Transylvania University, will work as a grassroots director for the campaign where he will assist with coalitions and field operations.

The Kentucky teen was among a group of Covington Catholic High School students who attended the anti-abortion March for Life in Washington in early 2019.

While they were waiting for their bus near the Lincoln Memorial the students were approached by several Native American activists led by 64-year-old Nathan Phillips, drumming and chanting.

A video of the incident quickly became viral. Sandmann was seen standing close and smiling to Phillips, a Native American man, while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

News outlets and Twitter users then accused Sandmann of harassment and of being a racist, but a longer version of the clip showed a different story.

An investigation carried out by the Catholic Diocese of Covington later revealed that the students made no offensive or racist comments about Phillips.

The biased coverage against Sandmann led to intense criticism of the teen. Sandmann eventually sued CNN and Washington Post for defamation.

Last month, a spokesperson for the Washington Post told news outlets that the suit was settled. “We are pleased that we have been able to reach a mutually agreeable resolution of the remaining claims in this lawsuit,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, CNN had settled with Sandmann in January.

Earlier this week, Sandmann spoke at the Republican National Convention, where he spoke about “cancel culture” and the media.

“I wouldn’t be canceled. I fought back hard to expose the media for what they did to me and won a personal victory. While much more must be done, I look forward to the day that the media returns to providing balanced, responsible, and accountable news coverage,” he said during his address. “I know President Trump hopes for that too.”