On Saturday, it became clear that the fallout from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., forming an "America First" caucus to uphold "Anglo-Saxon traditions" — immediately derided by historians as a racist dog whistle — is fracturing the House GOP.
According to Politico Playbook: "All eyes are on House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who last night tweeted his disapproval of the proposed new group — but who will no doubt be called on to do more to stop it entirely." But as the report noted, the situation is complicated for him: "A few years ago, McCarthy stripped then-Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, of his committee assignments over repeated racist comments." But in this case, Greene has already been stripped of her assignments, so it's unclear what he can and will do.
Meanwhile, according to Forbes, the "America First" Caucus has already been rejected by key members of the Freedom Caucus, an infamously far-right gang of lawmakers who include some of former President Donald Trump's most prominent loyalists.
"The hatefulness ... is only surpassed by its ignorance of American history and values," said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., a major Freedom Caucus member. Another, Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah — one of the only two Black Republicans in the House — also confirmed to Forbes he wants nothing to do with the new group.
The America First Caucus' establishing document clearly outlines white nationalist ideology, including the idea of renouncing as un-American all immigrants who came to America after 1965, the year that the U.S. immigration system was reformed to eliminate explicit racial quotas.
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