Katrina Pierson
| Katrina Pierson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Katrina Lanette Shaddix July 20, 1976 Kansas, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Texas, Dallas |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Known for | National spokesperson for the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign |
| Political party | Republican |
Katrina Lanette Pierson (born Katrina Lanette Shaddix;[1] July 20, 1976) is a Tea Party activist and communications consultant from Texas. Since November 2015, she has served as national spokesperson for the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign.
Early life and education
Pierson was born in Kansas[2] to a white mother and a black father, and grew up with her mother in poverty.[3] Her mother, who gave birth to her at age 15,[1] initially gave her up for adoption, but later changed her mind.[3]
In 1997, at the age of 20, she was arrested for shoplifting, to which she pleaded no contest, received deferred adjudication, and, ultimately, a dismissal with the case sealed.[1] Pierson reportedly took $168 in merchandise from a J. C. Penney store in Plano, Texas, and had her then three-month old son with her at the time of the incident.[1] Pierson told authorities she needed the clothes for job interviews.[1]
In 2006, Pierson earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Texas at Dallas.[4][5]
Political career
Beginnings
After voting for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, Pierson joined the Tea Party movement, becoming an activist.[6] Pierson founded a local Tea Party group in Garland, Texas.[5][6] She actively supported Ted Cruz in the 2012 Senate race in Texas and appeared on stage with him on election night.[4]
2014 Texas Congressional race
In the 2014 Texas Congressional elections, Pierson challenged incumbent Congressman Pete Sessions in the Republican primary to represent Texas' 32nd district.[7][8] Her candidacy was endorsed by Rafael Cruz and Sarah Palin, who called her "a feisty fighter for freedom."[7] While U.S. Senator Ted Cruz offered praise, calling her an "utterly fearless principled conservative,"[8] he stopped short of an endorsement.[8] In the election, she received 36 percent of the vote, losing to Sessions, who received 63 percent.[9] Pierson went on to become spokesperson for the Tea Party Leadership Fund.[4]
Association with Trump 2016
In January 2015, Pierson attended a meeting for Tea Party activists in Myrtle Beach with Ted Cruz;[4] while in Myrtle Beach, she also met with Donald Trump.[4] After meeting with Trump or his aides a few more times in the spring,[4] Pierson introduced Trump at a campaign rally held in Dallas in September.[4] In November 2015, she was hired as the national spokesperson for Trump's campaign,[4] subsequently appearing frequently on television in this capacity.[10]
Pierson has sometimes drawn attention to herself in her appearances.[10] In an interview on CNN in December 2015, she wore a necklace made of bullets, a choice that engendered debate on Twitter and led to several media mentions.[11]
Shortly after becoming Trump's national spokesperson, Pierson stated that "Islam preys on the weak and uses political correctness as cover."[4] Subsequently, she defended Trump's call to monitor mosques and shut them down if necessary, telling Fox News host Megyn Kelly in November 2015 that a mosque was "no different than a Christian church, it's not different than a Mormon church ... You've had the DOJ investigate Mormon churches and shut them down and Seventh-day Adventist churches."[12] The Salt Lake Tribune suggested Pierson may have been referencing government investigations of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a breakaway sect unaffiliated with the larger, Salt Lake City-headquartered Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.[12]
Other matters
In January 2016, a racially charged tweet that Pierson had posted about two leading 2012 presidential election candidates came to light, garnering rebukes from many commentators.[13][14] Pierson's tweet ran: "Perfect Obama's dad born in Africa, Mitt Romney's dad born in Mexico. Any pure breeds left?"[15] During an interview on CNN, Pierson was asked if she wished to retract her comment; she declined, explaining, "I'm an activist and I am a half-breed. I'm always getting called a half-breed. And on Twitter when you're fighting with liberals and even establishment, you go back at them in the same silliness they are giving you. So, I myself am a half-breed."[16]
As of December 2015, Pierson served on the Texas Tea Party Caucus advisory committee.[6][5]
Personal life
Pierson had a three-month-long marriage[1] at a young age that gave her a son.[4] As of 2015, Pierson and her son were residing in Garland, Texas.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jeffers Jr., Gromer (February 17, 2014). "Pete Sessions Rival Katrina Pierson Says '97 Shoplifting Charge Helped Turn Her Life Around". Politics. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
- ↑ Meghan (February 12, 2014). "Katrina Pierson About Taking On the Establishment GOP". GlennBeck.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- 1 2 Swerdlick, David (February 25, 2014). "Black Tea Partier Katrina Pierson Takes on Obama—and Her Own Party". The Root. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Schreckinger, Ben; Glueck, Katie (November 18, 2015). "Trump's New Face". Politico. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Pierson, Katrina (self). "Katrina Pearson [sic.]". TeapartyExpress.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Tinsley, Anna M. (December 14, 2015). "Trump's Outspoken Texas Spokeswoman Likely Will Be Around for Awhile". McClatchy DC. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
- 1 2 Swartsell, Nick (February 19, 2014). "Sarah Palin Supports Katrina Pierson, Jabs at Pete Sessions". Trail Blazers Blog. Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Gillman, Todd J. (January 13, 2014). "Ted Cruz Adds Katrina Pierson to His Expanding List of the "Utterly Fearless"". Trail Blazers Blog. The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ↑ Kamisar, Ben (November 9, 2015). "Trump Taps Ex-Cruz Supporter as Spokeswoman". The Hill. Archived from the original on December 17, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- 1 2 Benen, Steve (December 21, 2015). "Team Trump's Unhealthy Approach to Nuclear Weapons". The Rachel Maddow Show. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ↑ Krieg, Gregory (December 30, 2015). "Trump Spokeswoman Accessorizes with Bullet Necklace". CNN.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- 1 2 Burr, Thomas (November 19, 2015). "Did Trump Spokeswoman Misspeak? She Says Feds Shut Down "Mormon Churches"". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
- ↑ Feinberg, Ashley (January 23, 2016). "Donald Trump Spokesperson Decried Lack of "Pure Breeds" Running for President". Gawker. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
- ↑ Bowden, George (January 24, 2016). "J.K. Rowling Responds to Katrina Pierson's 2012 "Pure Breed" Comments in Signature Style". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
- ↑ KatrinaPierson (January 19, 2012). "Perfect Obama's dad born in Africa, Mitt Romney's dad born in Mexico. Any pure breeds left? #CNNDebate" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ↑ Chasmar, Jessica (January 25, 2016). "Trump Spokeswoman Defends Call For "Pure Breed" President". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.