Following the massacre of Black shoppers in Buffalo by a white supremacist gunman, Republican figures are under renewed scrutiny for embracing the racist “great replacement theory” that the shooter allegedly used to justify the murders.
The extremist ideology was born from far-right nationalism, and believes that immigration will destroy white values and western civilization. This ideology has found favor within high-profile media figures, including the conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson, as well as within a host of elected officials and others who are seeking political office.
They believe Democrats are operating some kind of open-door immigration policy in order to “replace” Republican voters with people of color in order to permanently keep themselves in power. Politicians who have jumped on this ideology include Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who is the chair of the GOP House Conference, and JD Vance, the Ohio Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate with an endorsement from former president Donald Trump.
Stefanik and Vance are among those receiving blowback for embracing the conspiracy theory following the Buffalo shooting. The killer referred repeatedly to an online manifesto that authorities said he had posted online in order to justify his shooting rampage.
He cited Facebook advertisements that were used by Stefanik in 2021. The ads, which were called “despicable” by even some of her Republican colleagues, as well as her own hometown newspaper. The ads said that radical Democrats are planning the most aggressive most so far: “permanent election insurrection.” Stefanik was under immense fire for these ads last year, and was blasted for pushing replacement theory. She is back under fire this week for continuing to peddle the theory.
Vance is another vocal exponent of the discredited theory. Vance credits Trump’s endorsement for helping him to victory in the Ohio primary last week against incumbent Republican Josh Mandel. Vance warned his supporters a shift in the democratic makeup that would mean Republicans would never win presidency again.
But Carlson might be the biggest apologist for the theory. Last year, he said that demographic change is key to the Democratic party’s political ambitions, and that they plan to change the population of America.
How much effect the backlash against politicians promoting the theory following the Buffalo attack remains to be seen.
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