House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy responded on Friday evening to reports that some of his colleagues are working to establish an America First Caucus.
According to multiple reports, a group of Republican lawmakers supportive of former President Donald Trump is looking to form a new right-wing caucus that would fight for the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda in the United States Congress.
As reported by Politico, McCarthy slammed the initiative in a tweet, stressing that the Republican Party must unequivocally reject nativism.
‘Nativist Dog Whistles’
“America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn’t built on identity, race, or religion,” McCarthy tweeted.
“The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans — not nativist dog whistles,” he added.
House GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney echoed McCarthy, writing that “racism, nativism, and anti-Semitism are evil.”
“History teaches we all have an obligation to confront & reject such malicious hate,” Cheney tweeted.
Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas also expressed opposition to the idea.
America First Caucus
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and other pro-Trump lawmakers in the would-be America First Caucus are calling for a return to “Anglo-Saxon political traditions,” according to a seven-page document obtained by the press.
The document also claims that mass migration poses a major threat to America.
“History has shown that societal trust and political unity are threatened when foreign citizens are imported en-masse into a country, particularly without institutional support for assimilation and an expansive welfare state to bail them out should they fail to contribute positively to the country.”
Gaetz, Gohmert Want To Join The Caucus
At least two other Republican congressmen have expressed support for Greene and her allies, signaling that they would be willing to join the America First Caucus.
Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who is being investigated for sex crimes, said that he would be a “proud” member of the group.
“We will end wars, stop illegal immigration & promote trade that is fair to American workers,” he tweeted.
Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas suggested the same, claiming that the MAGA agenda has nothing to do with race.
Leader McCarthy
As reported by The Washington Post, McCarthy has struggled to unite his caucus.
In the aftermath of the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, a group of Trump loyalists — including Gaetz — took aim at their colleagues, especially those who refused to endorse the former president’s conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election.
Cheney, who voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection against the U.S. government, was almost ousted form her leadership position. McCarthy defeated a motion to eject Cheney and vowed to lead his party to victory in the 2022 midterms.
