GOP Ad Tracker and New Report Document at least 546 Instances in 2022 Cycle of GOP Use of “Replacement” and “Invasion” Rhetoric in Political Ads, Tweets, and Campaign Emails
Washington, DC – A new report from America’s Voice, Republicans Embrace Dangerous White Nationalist “Replacement” and “Invasion” Conspiracies as a Midterm Strategy documents the growing scope and ongoing dangers of the Republican embrace of the white nationalist “replacement” and “invasion” conspiracies.
Based on research from the America’s Voice GOP ad tracking project, the report identifies 546 pieces of Republican political messaging that use ‘white replacement’ and a ‘migrant invasion’ in the 2022 cycle alone, including 334 tweets for the first six months of this year, 121 different paid political ads in this cycle, and 91 campaign emails.
- Of the 334 tweets, we have identified 81 different Republican candidates, electeds, or party officials across 24 states who have used this language.
- The 121 unique ads were from 44 different campaigns across 16 states.
- The 91 campaign emails are from 21 different campaigns across 12 states.
Many of the political messages falsely warn of an “invasion” at our southern border. This “invasion” rhetoric is inexorably tied to that of ‘white replacement. The subtext is not subtle — the dangerous “other” is invading us in a war-like assault so they can replace us. As the report notes, this “messaging acts as the most pernicious element of a larger nativist political narrative to rally a radicalized base, solicit fundraising contributions and subvert American democracy … This racist fiction is absurd, but it has inspired multiple domestic terrorists to take the lives of dozens over the last few years.”
The report documents the growing use of these ads by Republican candidates and elected officials and explores some of the “hotspots” and most troubling examples of the GOP usage, with a particular focus on Arizona and Texas.
According to Zachary Mueller, Political Director for America’s Voice, “Even after these white nationalist conspiracies were cited by mass murderers in places such as Buffalo and El Paso, the Republican Party has doubled down on the same lies to boost their political campaings. Republicans know exactly 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.
But, not only have GOP leaders aided and abetted the language, they are raising money on the extremism and violence. Echoing and amplifying the lies of domestic terrorists, leading Republicans are trying to fill their campaign coffers. With the likes of Tucker Carlson and right wing media figures helping to mainstream these racist and formerly fringe ideas, Republicans are finding a receptive audience.
The stakes are too high and the dangers too great to ignore the Republicans’ embrace of “replacement” and “invasion conspiracies,” nor the fact that the GOP’s embrace of these dangerous lies are increasingly widespread throughout the party.
Read the new America’s Voice report, Republicans Embrace Dangerous White Nationalist “Replacement” and “Invasion” Conspiracies as a Midterm Strategy
- Check out Republicans’ anti-immigrant ads at the America’s Voice GOP Ad Tracker: http://gopadtracker.com/
