Burgess Owens, the 4th Congressional District Republican nominee, said Sunday the Democratic Party is led by “narcissists and sociopaths” who “have no empathy for anyone else.”
Owens appeared as a guest on “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” on Fox News where he discussed his run for Congress against Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah. In response to a question about Republican policies that help disadvantaged citizens, Owens teed off on Democratic-led cities.
“I truly believe this, Maria, that the Democratic Party, what really draws the type of people, I’m talking about leadership, they draw narcissists and sociopaths. These are people who have no empathy for anyone else. They love misery,” said Owens.
Owens routinely uses extreme language to describe his political opponents during his numerous TV and media appearances. He has previously described Democrats as “Marxists” and “evil.”
Owens has said that Black Lives Matter is a “Marxist” organization, which echoes a popular right-wing talking point.
The Fox News host did not ask Owens about a Salt Lake Tribune story that roiled social media Friday night. Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder donated $1,000 to Owens’ campaign. Owens has attacked professional athletes for kneeling to protest racial injustice. Snyder, who kneeled during the national anthem with his team, declined to comment on the contributions.
Owens responded on Twitter, saying, “How much do ‘black lives matter’ to the people upset that a good man donated to the states ONLY BLACK CANDIDATE running for Congress, because he disagrees with their stance on BLM Inc. Do black lives only matter when they think how you tell them to?”
During the Fox News interview on Sunday, Owens said Black voters were shifting their support away from Democratic nominee Joe Biden and toward President Donald Trump, hailing a late August poll showing Trump’s approval among Black voters rose 9 percentage points during the Republican National Convention.
“We have Black Americans across this country starting to wear MAGA hats because they are over being intimidated, being called names,” Owens said.
More recent polls show Biden leading Trump among Black voters by massive margins. A Quinnipiac survey gave Biden a 72 point lead over Trump in that group. An Economist survey showed Biden with a 64 point lead nationally among Black voters, and a Navigator poll put Biden’s lead over Trump among Blacks at 85 points.
The 4th District race between Owens and McAdams is one of the highest-profile in the nation this year. The candidates and outside groups have booked more than $7 million in advertising ahead of the November election.
A super PAC aligned with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launched an ad campaign last week attacking Owens for his past business failures and bankruptcies, while a Republican super PAC countered with a positive ad highlighting Owens’ work in the community.
