In the past two weeks, the farthest fringe of the political right has dug a new trench right in the heart of the GOP. Self-described “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer, who publicly celebrated the deaths of thousands of refugees, won the Republican nomination for a Florida congressional seat, prompting the president to tweet congratulations her way. QAnonadherent Marjorie Taylor Greene’s been picked as the nominee for a Georgia seat, bringing us to a total of 11 QAnon-supporting Republican congressional nominees on the fall ballot. And President Trump called QAnon adherents "people who love our country."
To New Republic staff writer Alex Pareene, the QAnon foothold is disquieting — but it masks the real threat making its home in the Republican party. For that, he turns to the Republican nominee for North Carolina’s 11th district, Madison Cawthorn, a 25 year old "rising star" in the Republican party who seems to have a taste for symbols often favored by white supremacists. Pareene describes his fears for the political future to Brooke.
This is a segment from our August 21st, 2020 program, Don’t Fall For It.