The reelection campaign for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has hired Nicholas Sandmann, who was confronted in aviral video by an elderly Native American man in 2019 at the Lincoln Memorial.
The campaign told The Hill Sandmann began serving as a grassroots director for McConnell's reelection bid in August. The role includes helping with field operations and building coalitions.
“We’re excited to have Nicholas on Team Mitch. 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,” said campaign manager Kevin Golden.
Sandmann hinted at the news on Thursday after he tweeted, “finally got to add more to my bio than just my schools.”
In early 2019, Sandmann attended an anti-abortion march with his classmates from Covington Catholic High School.
Following the event, a video emerged of Nathan Philips, a Native American man, standing in the face of Sandmann while loudly beating a drum. Sandmann stood while smiling and wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.
Once the video went viral, Sandmann began receiving insults from people on social media. Then, members of the mainstream media began hurling a steady stream of criticism at the then-16-year-old high school student, which often crossed the line into personal attacks.
In response, Sandmann sued several media outlets, including The Washington Post and CNN defamation. The Post and CNN settled those lawsuits earlier this year.
Earlier this week, Sandmann criticized the "cancel culture" of the media during his speech at the Republican National Convention.
“I learned that what was happening to me had a name,” Sandmann said. “It was called being canceled. As in annulled. As in revoked. As in made void.”
“Canceled is what’s happening to people around this country who refuse to be silenced by the far left,” Sandmann added. “Many are being fired, humiliated or even threatened. Often, the media is a willing participant.”
McConnell is running against Democrat Amy McGrath, a former Marine combat pilot with significant campaign donations in her war chest. McConnell has a five-point lead in the race according to the latest Quinnipiac Poll.