More than 24 hours this week, Republican representatives voted in defense of a budding lawmaker, conspiracy theorist known for violent rhetoric, and a party board leader who voted to impeach Donald Trump.
These seemingly contradictory decisions indicate that Republican leaders, especially in the lower house, are betting on creating a broad coalition of Trump supporters and haters to regain power. They also suggest that Republicans are unable or unwilling to remove right-wing extremists from their ranks, whatever the wishes of some leaders.
“I think as a party we need to find out what we stand for,” said Senator John Thune, urging Republicans “to stay away from members promoting conspiracy theories.”
On Thursday, Democratic lawmakers – something their Republican counterparts didn’t have the day before – voted to strip Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene of her committee positions, effectively preventing her from influencing the passing of laws. Greene has used social media to promote racial prejudice, anti-Semitism and violence against Democrats, views related to Trumpist conspiracy theorists QAnon.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, Georgia lawmakers said in a speech on campus that she no longer believed in QAnon in 2018. She declined to apologize for her specific allegations, including that a wealthy Jewish family had used space lasers to start wildfires in California and financial benefits.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene will be the face of the party, the face in the midterm elections, the face of the extremists,” said Republican strategist Steve Schmidt.
“I have not said any of these things since I was elected to Congress. They are words from the past and these things don’t represent me, ”said Greene, who in his conclusion compared the press releases to QAnon’s conspiracy theories.
QAnon’s central theory is that the Democrats are linked to a global gang of sex traffickers, in addition to practicing Satanism and cannibalism.
The Republican Party is trying to leave Trump’s presidency behind, promoter of the violation of norms and inspirer of the deadly assault on Capitol Hill during his last days in office. With Democrats ruling the White House and both houses, the party’s political success – perhaps its survival – depends on its ability to unite its warring factions. Moreover, whether the Republicans in Washington like it or not, those who think like Greene make up a significant portion of the party base.
Joyful Democrats celebrated their rivals’ blatant political dilemma, especially after all Republican lawmakers voted after Greene’s defense on Thursday, but with their narrow majority in the chambers facing their own structural challenges heading into next midterm elections. year.
Republican Representative Tom Emmer, his party’s campaign leader for the House, accused the Democrats of turning to Greene to divert attention from President Joe Biden’s initial left-wing measures, including measures aimed at combating climate change and that could eliminate jobs in the fossil fuel industry.
“It’s the same QAnon tactic they tried in 2020 and lost 15 seats,” said Emmer. “I assure you this cycle will be worse for them.”
To placate the pro-establishment wing of the party, Republican lawmakers voted to replace Rep. Liz Cheney in party leadership. Trump loyalists had called for his removal because he blamed Trump for instigating the attack on Capitol Hill and voting for his impeachment.
But Greene’s refusal to distance himself threatens to haunt the party for the foreseeable future.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene will be the face of the party, the face in the midterm elections, the face of the extremists,” said Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, a co-founder of the anti-Trump group Lincoln Project claiming to be a major party. to be. player in the 2022 Legislative elections.
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At the same time, the pro-democracy Legislative Majority group Adelante aired a television commercial accusing the minority leader in the lower house, Kevin McCarthy, of strengthening extremists.
“The QAnon conspiracies sound crazy, but the danger is real,” says the narrator in the ad, listing Greene’s false allegations, including denying the reality of the school murders and terrorist attacks in Florida and Connecticut. . September 11.
The new ad will appear on Friday in McCarthy, California, and on cable television in Washington.
At their Wednesday night meeting, the Republican bloc listened to Greene’s explanation and gave him a standing ovation. McCarthy has condemned his statements in the past, but defended his stay on the committees.
Despite the challenges, many Republican leaders have been optimistic about their political future and see an opportunity to regain control of at least one, if not both, of the chambers.
History is on your side.
Democrats hold a majority of 10 seats in the lower house. Since 1994, the White House party has lost as many as 40 seats in the first by-election to a new presidency. The exception was that of 2202, after the September 11 attacks.
But with their allied party behind Biden, the Democratic leaders said, at least for now, they won’t let voters forget about Republican reluctance to confront Trumpist extremists.
“Kevin McCarthy and his Republican bloc in Washington have just shown that they are too weak to resist the violent QAnon mob that is consuming their party,” said Rep. Patrick Maloney, who leads the campaign branch of Democratic lawmakers.
“If they are too weak for that,” he added, “they cannot be trusted to do their work for the American people.”