GOP Senate candidate defends falsely claiming Obama was Muslim

Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Kathy Barnette was left scrambling on Sunday when a Fox News host asked her to explain Islamophobic tweets she authored during the Obama administration.

Ms Barnette, a former conservative talk show host who has admitted to being present at the rally which preceded the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, has gained significantly in polling since her performance at a GOP senate debate three weeks ago, with recent surveys showing her pulling within striking distance of ex-TV doctor Mehmet Oz and former private equity executive Dave McCormick.

But the possibility that Ms Barnette could knock off the two prior frontrunners has brought additional scrutiny of her past public statements.