Washington, DC – Using his platform on one of the most watched programs in the country, Tucker Carlson recently argued that every immigrant that came to the US after 1965 and their descendants are ‘replacers’ who threaten the very existence of the nation. Carlson explicitly argued that “the great replacement” is real and that the Nationality Act of 1965 was a central part of the plot. While Carlson’s mainstreaming of white nationalist ideas is not new, this is a dangerous escalation that threatens the very notion of a multiracial democracy.
As a reminder, “the great replacement” is an anti-Semitic, white nationalist lie that there is a plot by Jews (or the Left/elites) to replace white people through an invasion of non-white migrants from the global south. This absurd and racist conspiracy theory has inspired domestic terrorists from Christchurch to Charlottesville to Pittsburgh to Poway to El Paso to the U.S. Capital on January 6. Most recently, it inspired a terrorist to kill Black Americans in Buffalo.
Echoing the deadly conspiracy theory, Carlson said:
“Looking back, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 turned out to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever passed by the U.S. Congress…
Again, you can’t just replace the electorate because you didn’t like the last election outcomes. That would be the definition of undermining democracy, changing the voters…
The great replacement. Yeah. It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s their electoral strategy and we know that because they see it all the time…
[I]t turns out that a lot of the people coming are not ready to participate in a democracy…”
Carlson is not alone in advancing the “replacement” and “invasion” conspiracy theories these days. Yesterday, the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), the largest superPAC for House Republicans tied to House leadership, began running fundraising ads on Meta claiming there is an ongoing “invasion” at our southern border. This “invasion” rhetoric is inexorably tied to “the great replacement.” The subtext is not subtle — the dangerous “other” is invading us so they can replace us. CLF’s ad is the latest piece of evidence that the GOP has embraced this deadly, white nationalist conspiracy as part of their midterm strategy.
According to Zachary Mueller, America’s Voice Political Director:
“Tucker Carlson and the Republican Party are advancing a racist lie to delegitimize the promise of a multiracial democracy where people come to America from every corner of the globe to contribute to a nation based on shared ideals, not shared blood.
The millions of people who have immigrated to America since 1965 and their children have made America a stronger, more prosperous nation. Many have given their lives to defend this nation. For Tucker Carlson to traffic so shamelessly in what is a far-right conspiracy theory steeped in anti-Semitism, racism and nativism is an insult to these fine Americans and the creed that welcomes them in as full members of the American family.=
In contrast, the “replacement” and “invasion” conspiracies have a body count of innocent Americans cut down by terrorist attacks. Carlson’s rant and CLF’s ad actively encourage more deadly mass violence. They know what they are doing. When powerful people promote dehumanizing bigoted lies, some of their well-armed followers inevitably respond with downstream violence. When they “mainstream” these conspiracy theories, they choose to put a target on the backs of Americans because of the color of their skin or the accent they speak with. This isn’t just politics. This is dangerous.
Disgustingly, leadership in the Republican party is fundraising off these deadly bigoted lies. The CLF fundraising ad is not a new tactic for Republican House leadership. The day after the terrorist attack in Buffalo, third-ranking House Republican Elise Stefanik sent out a fundraising email playing the victim as her rhetoric and ads that echoed the gunman’s manifesto were scrutinized. The embrace of these white nationalist lies is a feature of the Republican midterm strategy, not a bug.
