We know this is a very serious visit because accompanying him are very serious individuals like Marjorie Taylor Greene, as well as noted southern border lawmakers Blake Moore of Utah and Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee.
Listen to Jennifer Fernandez Ancona from Way to Win explain how Democrats must message to win on Daily Kos’ The Brief podcast with Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld
Taylor Greene has also been in the news in the last couple days, facing a court challenge on her eligibility for reelection to her district due to her pro-insurrection stance. Like McCarthy, Taylor Greene is a prolific liar, but during the hearing she just couldn’t seem to remember many of her bold claims. There were lots of “I don’t recall” and “I don’t remember” statements, Rebekah Sager reported for Daily Kos. Perhaps Taylor Greene should see someone about that.
We have a feeling that none of these people will have trouble speaking at the border on Monday, where they’ll have nothing to offer when it comes to policy ideas, but plenty from the “wow, that’s some racist shit” department. But this is the GOP stance. The Washington Post’s James Downie noted that Texas’ Michael McCaul went onto Fox News Sunday this past weekend to compare asylum-seekers at the border to Russians invading Ukraine. “We have an invasion in my home state right on the border, every day,” he claimed.
“Invasion” is the same racist wording used by the white supremacist terrorist who shot up McCaul’s state in 2019, Downie notes. It is a fact that this awful anti-immigrant rhetoric is no longer solely a product of the fringe right-wing, it is the Republican mainstream, and McCarthy isn’t just leaning into it, he’s pinning his electoral hopes on it, Downie continues.
”McCarthy and his fellow Republicans aren’t holding political stunts outside gas stations or supermarkets. And they’re barely even gesturing at ideas for lowering prices. Yet they’re hammering border politics. Why? Because while immigration might not sway the electorate as a whole, it fires up the GOP base that McCarthy wants to keep on his side.”
America’s Voice and Immigration Hub had earlier this year noted more than 700 anti-immigrant ads launched by Republicans. That’s likely much, much higher now. America’s Voice had late last year also noted racist ads from House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and Rick Scott, who heads the National Republican Senate Committee. Even Lindsey Graham, once a Republican champion of comprehensive immigration reform, has echoed racist “invasion” rhetoric.
Downie said that “whether they admit it or not,” Republicans like McCarthy “recognize that the easiest way to protect their standing in the Republican Party is to embrace the hate and stoke the same bigoted fury that led a man to open fire in a store.”
Whether they actually believe in it or are just parroting it to win elections, it is their official stance. And anything to not talk about their lies and efforts to overturn American democracy. It’ll also be up to reporters to not parrot back whatever outlandish claims McCarthy makes at the border since he’s already on the record as lying to them, but knowing what we know, keep your expectations low.
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Author Gabe Ortiz
