JACKSON, Miss.—In extended footage released exclusively by the Jackson Free Press, the context of Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s now-infamous “public hanging” remarks becomes clearer, and the video sheds new light on the senator’s other views including abortion, guns and even the recent history of the Democratic and Republican parties.
Video
Cindy Hyde-Smith: 'If He Invited Me to a Public Hanging' Short Clip
In the roughly 12-second clip that drew national attention, Hyde-Smith says that if a certain supporter invited her to “a public hanging,” she “would be on the front row.”[1] The full video also shows that two reporters were present for the remarks, but did not report the “hanging” comment.
That clip, it turns out, is part of nearly 25 minutes of uninterrupted footage filmed by a political tracker of unknown affiliation at a Hyde-Smith campaign stop in Tupelo, Miss., on Nov. 2—just before the Nov. 6 general election. Trackers, who film footage of a candidate for opposing campaigns, were common[2] during the three-way race that saw Hyde-Smith and Democrat Mike Espy advance to a runoff with Mississippi Sen. Chris McDaniel coming in third.
Video
Full Cindy Hyde-Smith 'Public Hanging' Video
In extended footage released exclusively by the Jackson Free Press, the context of Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s now-infamous “public hanging” remarks becomes clearer, and the video sheds new light on the senator’s other views.
The Bayou Brief, the independent Louisiana outlet that first aired the video of the hanging remark,[3] obtained the footage on the condition that the identity of the tracker—who says his name in the video—would be concealed.
