Longtime Nebraska Republican Blasts Party: ‘The Republican Party Is Enabling White Supremacy In Our Country’
A longtime Republican state representative from Nebraska took his own party to task on Sunday, writing a blistering tweet that accused the party of enabling white supremacy.
John McCollister, who has represented the state’s 20th legislative district for the last five years, took to Twitter to say that the Republican Party is complicit to the “obvious racist and immoral activity” taking place within the party. His tweets come after many have taken aim at President Donald Trump for his refusal to condemn acts of violence carried out by white supremacists, including the El Paso mass shooting that was reportedly preceded by the shooting suspect sharing an anti-immigrant and white supremacist manifesto online.
The New York Times noted that the manifesto appeared to match language used by Donald Trump, including referring to immigrants as “invaders.” It said that the shooting was in response to the “Hispanic invasion” in the United States.
McCollister took direct aim at Donald Trump in his series of tweets, pointing out actions Trump has taken to purposely stoke racial animosities.
“We have a Republican president who continually stokes racist fears in his base,” he wrote. “He calls certain countries ‘sh*tholes,’ tells women of color to ‘go back’ to where they came from and lies more than he tells the truth.”
John McCollister’s tweets drew some viral interest on Sunday evening, garnering tens of thousands of likes and shares despite the Republican not having much stature beyond the state legislature in Nebraska.
The Republican Party is enabling white supremacy in our country. As a lifelong Republican, it pains me to say this, but it’s the truth.
I of course am not suggesting that all Republicans are white supremacists nor am I saying that the average Republican is even racist.
— Senator McCollister (@SenMcCollister) August 5, 2019
Other Republicans have joined in criticizing Donald Trump and condemning white supremacist terrorism in the wake of this weekend’s mass shooting in El Paso. George P. Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who serves as General Land Office Commissioner in Texas, released a statement saying that Americans must stand up against what he called “white terrorism.”
As The Hill noted, Bush said that violence carried out by those espousing white supremacist beliefs is a major problem that must be addressed.
“I believe fighting terrorism remains a national priority,” Bush said. “And that should include standing firm against white terrorism.”
“There have now been multiple attacks from self-declared white terrorists here in the US in the past several months,” Bush added. “This is a real and present threat that we must all denounce and defeat.”
Donald Trump said that he will announce a response to shootings with a statement planned for Monday, but in brief statements this weekend, he did not address or condemn white supremacist terrorism.
