This week was once again filled with MAGA Republicans spouting extremism, hypocrisy, chaos, and, as President Biden would call it, malarkey. In case you missed it: Ron DeSantis is trying to hide from his yearslong record of supporting election deniers; MAGA Republicans won’t stop pushing climate denialism; Tim Scott once again bragged about rigging the economy for the ultra-wealthy; and the one-year anniversary of the CHIPS and Science Act signing highlighted MAGA Republicans who voted no and are still taking credit for the dough. 

Ron DeSantis attempted to spin his yearslong record of supporting election conspiracy theories and January 6 insurrectionists, which raises the question: Has Ron DeSantis met Ron DeSantis?

WFLA: “Gov. Ron DeSantis still wouldn’t say if he believes President Joe Bidenwas ‘duly and legally elected’ in 2020. … Although DeSantis has been asked the question before, 8 On Your Side found no record of him actually answering it, in
print or on-air.”

Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “DeSantis said after the election that Trump should ‘fight on’ and ‘exhaust all options’ in challenging the results.”

Tampa Bay Times: “On Jan. 6 anniversary, DeSantis disputes that Capitol attack was an ‘insurrection’”

CNN: “DeSantis recently embarked on a national tour to boost the campaigns of some of the most fervent election deniers nominated by his party this cycle.”

As the Biden-Harris administration takes major steps to tackle the climate crisis head-on, MAGA Republicans continue to dabble in climate change denialism and are even attempting to roll back the progress President Biden and Democrats are making.

Associated Press: “With heat waves spreading across the United States, President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect workers — including a hazard alert notifying employers and employees about ways to stay safe from extreme heat — as well as measures to improve weather forecasts and make drinking water more accessible.”

New York Times: “Over four years, the Trump administration dismantled major climate policies and rolled back many more rules governing clean air, water, wildlife and toxic chemicals.”

The Guardian: “Ron DeSantis has been accused of a ‘catastrophic’ approach to the climate crisis after he launched his campaign for US president by saying he rejects the ‘politicization of the weather’ and questioning whether hurricanes hitting his home state of Florida have been worsened by climate change.”

New York Times: “Mr. Pence’s political organization, Advancing American Freedom, has denounced ‘the left’s climate radicalism’ and called for a rejection of ‘climate mandates.’ It has also called for expediting oil and gas leases and taking other steps to ‘unleash the full potential’ of fossil fuel production in the
United States.”

Ramaswamy: “The Earth’s surface area is covered with more plant life today than 50 years ago – because, yes, carbon is plant food and surface temperatures are a little higher. More facts that you’ll never hear from the Church of Climate Change.”

Reuters: “‘Our power companies have voluntarily embraced sources of alternative energy without heavy-handed regulation from government,’ Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said in a statement.”

HuffPost: ‘The climate has been changing forever and it will always change and man will always contribute to it. It’s not a crisis.’ … Scarborough pointed out that recent years have been uncharacteristically hot, shattering temperature records, but Christie was skeptical. ‘I don’t buy that, Joe. … I don’t see any evidence that it’s a crisis,’ Christie said. When asked what scientific data he was relying on for evidence, Christie pointed not to specific studies or charts but to his own intuition. ‘That’s my feeling,’ he said. ‘I didn’t say I was relying on any scientist.’”

CNN: “North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum doesn’t say whether he believes humans are to blame for global warming as a new analysis finds extreme heat waves were made significantly more likely by the human-caused climate crisis.”

Tim Scott can’t seem to separate himself from Donald Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, continuing to brag about their relationship and their tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.

Scott: “Well, we have a great friendship and a good working relationship. Listen, we got opportunity zones done, I created the opportunity zones, the president supported it and signed it. I was one of the three authors of the 2017 tax reform.” 

On the one-year anniversary of the CHIPS and Science Act being signed into law this week, here’s your reminder that 2024 Republicans are speaking out against the legislation that is boosting America’s global competitiveness in manufacturing.

NBC News: “The Senate approved a sweeping package Wednesday to boost domestic production of computer chips and help the U.S. stay competitive with China. The 64-33 vote was a rare bipartisan victory a little more than three months before the crucial November midterms; 17 Republicans joined all Democratic-voting senators in voting yes. … Still, more than 30 Republicans voted no, including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Tim Scott of South Carolina and some other rumored 2024 candidates.”

Fox News: “Haley opposes major computer chips bill: ‘We don’t need to be China to beat China’” 

Burgum: “No, but initially, I’m like, ‘Hey, as a person that’s spent time in software, and we had a tremendous dependence on foreign manufacturers for chips, the CHIPS Act started out like a great idea.’ And as Governor, I’d say, ‘Hey, I never comment on a bill until it’s on my desk in its final form.’ And people said, ‘Wow, we’re going to try to get onshoring for critical aspects of what we need, for communications, for transportation, for military equipment.’ That made a bunch of sense. Well, then you pile a bunch of ideology on top of that and say, ‘Yeah, you can get these dollars to help onshore here. But you’ve got to use union. You’ve got to do this. You’ve got to do that.’ And you pile your ideology on.”

Ted Cruz voted against President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act, which is boosting America’s global competitiveness in manufacturing, but now he’s taking credit for projects funded by the legislation in Texas.

NBC DFW: “Despite voting No on bill, Sen. Cruz ‘enthusiastic’ for CHIPS Act projects in Texas”