MAGA Republicans this week ramped up their extremism, hypocrisy, chaos, and — as President Biden would call it — malarkey. In case you missed it: Tommy Tuberville said white nationalists are not racist, Mike Pence called to force women to carry nonviable pregnancies to term, Iowa Republicans passed an extreme six-week abortion ban with on-ground support from 2024 MAGA Republicans, Glenn Youngkin backed a national abortion ban, Ron DeSantis’s MAGA economic agenda has skyrocketed costs in Florida, and Chris Christie doubled down on his support for cutting Social Security. 

Republican senator Tommy Tuberville repeatedly refused to admit that white nationalists are racist.

USA Today: “’My opinion of a white nationalist is an American’: GOP Sen. Tuberville doubles down on comments”

Kaitlan Collins, CNN: “A white nationalist is racist, Senator.”

Tuberville: “Well that’s your opinion, that’s your opinion.”

Mike Pence unashamedly called for legislation that would force women to carry nonviable pregnancies to term — ignoring medical experts in his effort to rip away women’s reproductive freedom across the country. 

ABC News: “Pence would ban abortion in cases where pregnancy isn’t viable”

Associated Press: “In a recent interview, Pence went even further, saying abortion should be banned when a pregnancy isn’t viable. Such a standard would force women to carry pregnancies to term even when doctors have determined there is no chance a baby will survive outside the womb.

“‘I’m pro-life. I don’t apologize for it,’ Pence said in the interview. ‘I just have heard so many stories over the years of courageous women and families who were told that their unborn child would not go to term or would not survive. And then they had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery.’

“Doctors disputed Pence’s characterization, saying there are conditions that are always incompatible with life and others where the chance of survival is so slim that most patients, when previously given the choice, concluded that continuing the pregnancy wasn’t worth the suffering, grief or risk.”

Iowa Republicans fired their latest salvo of abortion extremism by passing extreme legislation that would ban abortion before many women know they’re pregnant.

NBC News: “Iowa Republicans pass a new 6-week abortion ban”

Associated Press: “Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy during a marathon special session Tuesday that continued late into the night. Gov. Kim Reynolds immediately said in a statement she would sign the bill on Friday.”

Republicans pulled out all of the stops to support Iowa’s now-passed extreme abortion ban, including pouring money into ads and texts, providing Republican legislators with dinner and even standing with them at the state Capitol. 

Iowa State Senator Claire Celsi: “Republican Senators are taking an unofficial dinner break to eat dinner that was provided by the Trump campaign.”

Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register: “Advancing American Freedom, a nonprofit founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, is spending $25,000 on ads and texts encouraging Iowans to contact lawmakers to tell them to vote for the six-week abortion ban the Iowa Legislature will take up in tomorrow’s special session.”

Pence: “Couldn’t be more grateful to Senate Majority Leader @jackwhitver, Speaker @PatGrassley, and Republicans in the Statehouse and Senate for passing historic #ProLife legislation in Iowa!”

Scott: “Great news! I celebrate states like Iowa and the leadership of Gov. @KimReynoldsIA that understand the importance of creating a culture that protects life.”

NBC News: “Ramaswamy, who went to the Capitol building to support the session, faced hecklers during an interview. ‘I think it’s an historic occasion,’ Ramaswamy said, adding that it was ‘a celebration of the pro-life position that I share.’”

As he continues to push an extreme abortion ban in Virginia, Glenn Youngkin became the latest 2024 presidential hopeful to back a national abortion ban. 

Kaitlan Collins: “What about a federal ban? Are you for that?”

Youngkin: “I think that where common sense brings us together is around a 15-week bill that protects life.” 

New reporting is showing that under Ron DeSantis’s watch, Florida has incurred some of the fastest rising costs in the country.

CNN: “Florida is America’s inflation hotspot because of a persistent problem with sky-high housing costs. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area has the highest inflation rate of metro areas with more than 2.5 million residents, with a 9% inflation rate for the 12 months ended in April. That’s more than double the national average of 4%, according to data from the Consumer Price Index. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro had the third-highest inflation rate in the country, at 7.3% for the year ended in May.”

Newsweek: “Florida Insurance Premiums Have Soared 206% Since DeSantis Became Governor”

Chris Christie doubled down on his extreme agenda of cutting Social Security.

CNBC: “Chris Christie doubles down on Trump attacks and Social Security cuts”