Old photos of Kasey Carpenter dressed as Kanye West in blackface have resurfaced, forcing the Georgia congressman to apologize ahead of his re-election campaign.
A Republican congressman is facing serious backlash after a photo emerged showing the Georgia representative dressed as Kanye West in blackface at a party more than a decade ago.
Kasey Carpenter of Dalton, who has represented the state’s 4th House District since 2017, said he tried to honor West while his wife dressed up as Kim Kardashian for what he called a “power couple” event.
The photo circulating on social media has become a major issue as Carpenter begins his re-election campaign this year.
In his defense, Carpenter told the Georgia Recorder that the decision was made “12 to 14 years ago” and was not intended to cause harm.
“Obviously it was a mistake, but it wasn’t done out of spite or some subversive message,” he said.
He also suggested the photo was leaked by a political opponent in an attempt to lower his chances at the ballot box.
“I think an election year is a good time to drop a racially sensitive photo of someone,” he added, according to the New York Post.
Carpenter posted a formal apology on Facebook, admitting that the photo was taken at a Chattanooga bar when he was in his 30s.
He claimed he was celebrating the rap star’s contribution to music and culture.
“Kanye West certainly has some questionable views on public affairs. He remains without question one of the greatest musical performers of his generation,” Carpenter wrote.
He went on to say that, in his view, respect for someone should not be based on skin color, but admitted that this stance “misses the mark for a lot of people.”
Despite his apology, Dalton residents aren’t buying the bill.
Local community members said his statement did not go far enough and that blackface in general was indefensible, especially against powerful people.
Carpenter’s attempt to portray the incident as a misrepresentation of the artist’s talent rather than acknowledging the historical context of blackface drew criticism from voters who felt he was downplaying the issue.
The timing could not have been worse for Carpenter’s political future.
He is up for re-election this year and faces a May 19 primary. The winner of that race will face college Democrat Quentin Postell in the November general election.
Carpenter tried to shift the focus by pointing to his work helping minorities in his district.
“They didn’t want to focus on what you did to help minorities, but they wanted to release a throwaway photo from 12, 14 years ago,” he said. But that argument didn’t resonate with voters, who believed the photo reflected his judgment.
