Former Bucks star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar adds to criticism of Hovde's nursing home comments
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Former Milwaukee Bucks star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has weighed in on the U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin, slamming Republican candidate Eric Hovde's comments that suggested most nursing home residents are not qualified to vote.
In a Tuesday post on his Substack account, the six-time NBA MVP featured Hovde's comments and questioned, "Is this the guy who should be a senator?"
"What’s troubling here is his desire to take away the rights of people who have spent a lifetime contributing to this country based on a physical attribute: age," he wrote. "Even if there was some fraud, the goal should be to uncover it, not deny everyone in nursing homes the vote."
Abdul-Jabbar's post adds to the national attention that surrounded Hovde's comments last week.
In response, campaign spokesman Zach Bannon said "unfortunately, (Abdul-Jabbar) has fallen victim to Democrat misinformation. Eric Hovde in no way suggested that elderly people should not have the right to vote."
His campaign made a similar statement last week and said Hovde was "referring to specific cases in Racine Co. where family members raised concerns about their loved ones voting."
When the pandemic started in 2020, poll workers known as special voting deputies were barred from entering such facilities, leaving residents with guidance from nursing home workers.
That resulted in a number of allegations within one Racine County facility of residents with cognitive issues casting ballots, leading to an investigation by the county sheriff. No charges were issued.
Hovde's campaign didn't name any specific policy changes he believes would address his concerns with election administration.
Hovde made the comments in a recent interview on the "Guy Benson Show."
"If you're in a nursing home, you only have five, six months life expectancy. Almost nobody in a nursing home is in a point to vote. And you have children, adult children showing up that said, 'Who voted for my 85- or 90-year-old father or mother?'" Hovde said in part.
Abdul-Jabbar wrote that if "Hovde was diagnosed with terminal cancer with only a year to live, should we take away his right to vote because he doesn’t have much time invested in the future? Of course not."
While not a terminal illness, Hovde was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when he was 27, a chronic illness that he notes on his campaign website.
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Abdul-Jabbar also highlighted that Hovde is former President Donald "Trump's Pick" in the Wisconsin Senate race, in which Hovde is challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Trump endorsed Hovde at his rally in Green Bay earlier this month.
Abdul-Jabbar frequently comments on politics on his Substack and has often criticized Trump.
His professional basketball career started in Milwaukee and brought the Bucks their first NBA title in his second season. After six seasons with the Bucks, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was the league's all-time leading scorer until LeBron James broke the record last year and he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Democratic former President Barack Obama.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticizes Eric Hovde's nursing home comments
