RNC Convention Prelude: Trump Endorses Dangerous Conspiracy Theory
August 19, 2020
Trump is giving us an early prelude to the Republican convention next week. At his briefing tonight, Trump flirted with a dangerous conspiracy the FBI labeled potential domestic extremists and considers a terror threat, saying he was glad to have QAnon-backers’ support. Over the past week, on top of welcoming the support of QAnon, Trump has also endorsed individual candidates who traffic in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racism, and sexism.
At his briefing tonight, Trump said he “appreciate(s)” the support of QAnon and questioned whether their beliefs were a bad thing.
TRUMP: “I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate.”
QUESTION: “At the crux of this theory is this belief that you are secretly saving the world from this satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals. Does that sound like something you are behind?” TRUMP: “…Is that supposed to be a bad thing?”
Last night, Trump endorsed a congressional candidate who is a “proud Islamophobe” and says “Islam is cancer.” Minutes ago, he doubled down on this endorsement.
McClatchy’s Francesca Chambers: “Trump congratulating people who won their races yesterday in a Florida tele-rally mentions Laura Loomer.”
Washington Post: “Trump’s public support for a candidate who once called herself a #ProudIslamophobe, has called Muslims ‘savages,’ and has contributed to conspiracy theory site Infowars drew quick backlash from critics.”
Trump said the “future” of the Republican Party was a candidate who embraces the QAnon conspiracy theory that the FBI labeled a potential domestic terror threat and says Muslims don’t belong in government.
New York Times: “The ascension of Marjorie Taylor Greene, who embraces a conspiracy theory that the F.B.I. has labeled a potential domestic terrorism threat, came as six states held primary and runoff elections on Tuesday.”
Politico: “The candidate, Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggested that Muslims do not belong in government; thinks black people ‘are held slaves to the Democratic Party’; called George Soros, a Jewish Democratic megadonor, a Nazi; and said she would feel ‘proud’ to see a Confederate monument if she were black because it symbolizes progress made since the Civil War.”
Trump endorsed a Republican candidate for Senate who said Black people have an “entitlement mentality,” complained about not being able to call women “sluts” anymore, and compared gay marriage to slavery.
CNN: “Republican Rep. Jason Lewis has a long history of racist rhetoric about African-Americans, pushing claims of a ‘racial war’ by blacks on whites and arguing that violence regularly occurs at black gatherings. He also frequently claimed that black people have an ‘entitlement mentality’ and viewed themselves as victims.”
CNN: “Republican Rep. Jason Lewis has repeatedly demeaned recipients of welfare and government assistance, calling them ‘parasites’ and ‘scoundrels,’ and said the black community had ‘traded one plantation for another.’”
CNN: “A Republican congressman from Minnesota has a long history of making deeply misogynistic comments on the radio, including lamenting that women can no longer be called ‘sluts’… ‘Does a woman now have the right to behave—and I know there’s a double standard between the way men chase women and running and running around—you know, I’m not going to get there, but you know what I’m talking about. But it used to be that women were held to a little bit of a higher standard. We required modesty from women. Now, are we beyond those days where a woman can behave as a slut, but you can’t call her a slut?’”
Axios: “In his book, Power Divided is Power Checked, he criticized the Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage, and equated it to the social issue of slavery: ‘How does somebody else owning a slave affect me? If I don’t think it is right, I won’t own one, and people always say ‘well if you don’t want to marry somebody of the same sex, you don’t have to, but why tell somebody else they can’t. Uh, you know if you don’t want to own a slave, don’t. But don’t tell other people they can’t.’”