Washington, DC – At the outset of today’s House Oversight Committee hearing on border and immigration, the Chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, began by complaining that Oversight Democrats had violated rules of “decorum” by tweeting out information compiled by America’s Voice of the numerous occasions when Oversight Republicans have embraced white nationalist talking points on the “Great Replacement Theory” and lies about an immigrant “invasion.”
The Democrats tweeted: “Good morning and good luck to everyone except @GOPoversight members who are using today’s hearing to amplify white nationalist conspiracy theories instead of a comprehensive solution to protect our borders and strengthen our immigration system,” and linked to the America’s Voice report issued last week.
In fact, three Republican Members, Rep. Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Rep. Boebert (R-CO) did just that, using the hearing to amplify white nationalist conspiracy theories.
Later in the hearing, Ranking Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) was asked to takedown the Tweet by Chairman Comer but responded that he would only do so if Oversight Republicans formally renounced the “Great Replacement Theory,” which they are unwilling to do.
Today’s hearing illustrated how far Republicans have moved in the direction of explicitly embracing white nationalist talking points about “replacement” and “invasion,” which have been the centerpiece of the racist screeds used to justify mass murder in El Paso, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Poway and are embraced by elements of the far-right, including those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Republicans have refused to denounce these conspiracies and during the hearing, amplified them.
Vanessa Cardenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice said:
“In today’s hearing the GOP hypocrisy was on full display. On the one hand they complain about decorum and on the other hand their members are the loudest amplifiers of ‘invasion’ and ‘Great Replacement Theory’ and ‘open borders’ language — which stirs anger and hate. They can try to pretend otherwise and distract with their on-camera outrage, but the mountain of evidence cannot be swept under the rug. GOP members are the worst offenders when it comes to parroting white nationalist tropes. Ranking Member Raskin has it right, if the GOP has a problem with the language, then they should refrain from using it and loudly denounce it. Clearly, being called out for embracing the white nationalist talking points of mass murderers – by House Democrats and by America’s Voice – got under the skin of House Republicans.”
Related America’s Voice resources:
- Ugly Political Attacks and Dangerous White Nationalist Conspiracies: Previewing House Oversight Committee Hearing on Immigration & Border, 6, 2023;
- When Republican House Oversight Committee Members Amplified White Nationalist Conspiracy Theories, Feb. 3, 2023
- The Dangerous Embrace or Insidious Silence: the GOP Puts a Target on the Backs of Immigrants, Oct. 22, 2022
- Republicans Embrace Dangerous White Nationalist “Replacement” and “Invasion” Conspiracies as a Midterm Strategy, July 21, 2022
