Maryland Democrat David Trone removes ad following backlash from black community for ‘training wheels’ remark

Rep. David Trone (D-MD) came under fire from fellow Democrats once again, this time for an ad that sparked outrage among black voters.

Trone’s campaign aired an attack ad against his Senate primary rival, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, last week, during which a black supporter argued that the “U.S. Senate is not a place for training wheels,” taking aim at her record. The remarks were met with outrage from some black women, who claimed it was racist and misogynistic, Axios reported.

In a letter signed by 650 black women, among them former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, the group complained that the phrase was “not only disparaging and dismissive but also echoes tones of misogyny and racism.”

Despite claims of racism, the comments in the pro-Trone ad, which featured a host of black state officials, were made by a black official.

In response, Trone’s campaign pulled the ad and replaced it with one without the “training wheels” comment. However, it took no note of this in a comment made to Axios, describing the editing of the ad as a simple correction of an unrelated error.

“Our team noticed a typographical error in the number of bills that David has passed through Congress,” a campaign spokesperson said in a statement to the outlet. “While fixing that error, our editors found additional footage of our endorsers that they found compelling and chose to make a number of additional edits.”

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Trone was previously accused of racism in March, when he said he used an antiquated racial slur during a hearing. He issued an apology and clarified that he meant to say “bugaboo.”

“While attempting to use the word ‘bugaboo’ in a hearing, I used a phrase that is offensive,” he said in a statement. “That word has a long dark terrible history. It should never be used any time, anywhere, in any conversation. I recognize that as a white man, I have privilege. And as an elected official, I have a responsibility for the words I use — especially in the heat of the moment. Regardless of what I meant to say, I shouldn’t have used that language.”