Senator Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) Asked his Republican Party to rebuild itself and “repudiate the absurdity that set our party on fire” in an opinion piece for The Atlantic Saturday about the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Why it matters: Many of the mob involved in the January 6 deadly riots on Capitol Hill wore items that signaled their support for the far-right QAnon and a prominent member of the cult was among those arrested after the siege.
- Several Republicans who ran for Congress last year publicly supported or defended the QAnon movement or some of its principles – something Sasee noted in his article, “QAnon is destroying the GOP from the inside.”
- Sasse attributes the violence “to the unfolding of a rotten seed that took root in the Republican Party some time ago and was fueled by betrayal, bad political judgment and cowardice”.
Driving the news: Sasse wrote in his article that “until last week, many party leaders and advisers thought they could preach the Constitution while winking at the QAnon”.
- “They can’t,” he added. “The GOP must reject conspiracy theories or be consumed by them. Now is the time to decide what this party is about.”
- Sasse criticized minority leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) For not denouncing QAnon supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) When she was running for Congress in 2020.
- “She has already announced plans to attempt to impeach Joe Biden on his first full day as president,” wrote Sasse. “She will continue to play the fool, her constituents and the Republican Party.”
Worthless: Sasse said before the House dismissed President Trump for the second time that he would consider “definitely considering” any articles of impeachment against him for his conduct and comments at a rally before the riots.
The end result: Sasse wrote that his party faces a choice when Trump leaves office: “We can dedicate ourselves to defending the Constitution and perpetuating our best American institutions and traditions, or we can be a party of conspiracy theories.”
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