Congressional Candidate Wants Kirk To Apologize For PTSD Joke
CHICAGO (CBS) -- U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk's comments comparing dealing with Donald Trump to post-traumatic stress disorder have drawn the ire of a Marine veteran running for Congress.
While campaigning with Ohio Gov. John Kasich last week, Kirk joked about the Republican nominee for president.
"I think the governor and I both suffer, forgive the humor here, from a form of PTSD: Post-Trump trauma disorder," he said.
Sean Barney, a Democrat running for a U.S. House seat in Delaware, called out Kirk in an online video.
"Unlike Kirk, I actually have taken fire serving in Iraq. I was shot through the neck and suffered post-traumatic stress afterwards as a result, and I can tell you no one running for Congress should joke about PTS," he said.
Barney said post-traumatic stress disorder is no laughing matter.
"We have to end the stigma around PTS, and that begins with taking it seriously. Mark Kirk should know that, and should apologize for his callous comments," he said.
Kasich was quick to distance himself from the joke, saying "Make sure you note that he said it and I didn't. I don't want to answer calls for the week."
Kirk's campaign manager called Barney's comments an attempt by his opponent, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, to shift the discussion away from controversies under her leadership at the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.