Combating the Nativist Narrative
Week of September 18, 2023
New Fox News photos of migrants traveling north will be used to drive nativist fearmongering:
While a picture can tell a thousand words, the right is working overtime to ensure that the images of the increased numbers of migrants traveling north in a group are viewed through the lens of xenophobic fear rather than compassion for clearly deteriorating conditions driving forced global migration. Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Griff Jenkins both shared short video clips this week, providing fuel for the nativist narrative machine. Looking at the content the New York Times puts around these challenging images, while far from perfect, underscores Fox News’ dangerous strategic xenophobia. Jenkins' video also depicts migrants hitching a ride on a commercial train out of Zacatecas, Mexico. FerroMex, Mexico’s largest rail company, temporarily halted shipments as such unauthorized precarious travel has led to numerous injuries and death. But at least four members of Congress, including Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), and Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), all used the images to promote the great replacement conspiracy theory this week. It's worth keeping in mind that in July, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed in testimony before Congress that when Members of Congress use great replacement conspiracy theory language like describing migrants as an “invasion,” it “fuels the threat landscape we encounter.”
COMBATING THE NARRATIVE: The consistency of this reflex to reach for deadly conspiracies to describe images of migration with scant context signals the serious problem inside the GOP. What is on offer in the right’s reaction to these images is not a constructive concern for security but a craven political attack that courts political violence.
House GOP nativist infighting is leading towards a government shutdown with an embrace of the language inspiring domestic terrorists:
The extremists in the House GOP who want to shut down the government over nativist demands are not concerned with America’s security rather their fight over America’s purity. On Tuesday, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), and Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) all took to X to cite the white nationalist “invasion” conspiracy theory for their reasoning as to why they are driving towards a Government shutdown. This is despite the fact that the extreme, cruel, and unworkable H.R.2 was attached to the Continuing Resolution. A piece of anti-immigrant legislation that members repeatedly promoted using the same deadly “invasion” conspiracy theory. America’s Voice found at least 12 examples of Republican Members of Congress employing the rhetoric while promoting the original passage of H.R.2. And instead of holding any of his Members to account, Speaker Kevin McCarthy sent everyone home for the weekend to run out the clock as we barrel yet again towards a government shutdown.
COMBATING THE NARRATIVE: What this contingent of the GOP is actually fighting for is NOT border security but for full adoption of a conspiratorial white nationalist orientation towards immigration in the US. It's ugly and has serious consequences. The fact the members of the GOP are trying to hold the government funding hostage based on antisemitic and white supremacist conspiracy theories is a frightening concept, but those are the facts. This isn't a secret. They are telling us precisely what they are doing. More HERE.
The ugly downstream consequences of Mayor Adam’s xenophobic language are already starting to show:
A couple of weeks back at a town hall meeting, New York City Mayor Eric Adams claimed migrants “will destroy New York City.” In a city that hosts the Statue of Liberty and was built by successive waves of migrants, Mayor Adams called for organizing to stop the influx of new migrants seeking asylum bussed from Texas. His language echoed and was applauded by neo-Nazis and enthusiastically picked up all manner of the GOP, right-wing media, hard-right influencers, and xenophobic agitators. Individuals are predictably picking up Mayor Adam’s call. Last week, right-wing protesters attempted to shout down Democratic Members of Congress talking about the importance of welcoming the newcomers to the city, while Fox News provided a platform for one of the protesters to spout great replacement conspiracy theory rhetoric. This week, there was a nativist protest led by the Republican candidate for New York City mayor and long-time right-wing provocateur, Curtis Sliwa, where 10 people were arrested and one cop was injured. This issue isn’t going away anytime soon– and it will only get nastier if the dangerous nativist narrative isn’t confronted here. Look to the literal neo-Nazis marching in the streets, arrests, convictions, and deadly terrorist attacks, to see there are serious consequences for letting this harmful narrative persist.
COMBATING THE NARRATIVE: America can manage the current challenges of forced global migration, and we can do so while living up to the best ideals and promises of this nation. But giving into reactionary, xenophobic hate is as counterproductive as it is dangerous, fueling the ongoing threat from bigoted violence. As Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, writes in a must-read piece: “Make no mistake: the only thing that legitimizes neo-Nazis here is an elected official giving voice to language that so closely tracks the same conspiracy theories that has directly fueled a cycle of extremism and violence.” Find some additional messaging pushing back on Mayor Adam’s vile message HERE.
POLITICS UPDATES
GOP Pres: This week, the superPACs aligned with the two leading GOP presidential campaigns, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, went up with new wildly xenophobic TV ads. As both campaigns have done, the pro-Trump ad courts racist political violence, peddling the white nationalist "invasion" conspiracy theory, falsely tying it to the fentanyl crisis. Both of the ads peddled misinformation about fentanyl, falsely claiming it is an immigration and border issue. It's not. They use the pain that this crisis has wrought, hoping to trick people into believing this problem can be solved with harsher crackdowns at the border - it won't - and their lies prolong the crisis as they pollute our ability to find real answers. The pro-DeSantis ad also continues to court racist political violence with lies about fentanyl and centering his calls for summary executions at the border.
PA Sen: Republican Dave McCormick will reportedly launch another bid for the Pennsylvania Senate seat. The ultra-wealthy out-of-towner lost the primary to his fellow ultra-wealthy out-of-towner Mehmet Oz in the GOP primary last cycle, following the advice of the white nationalist Stephen Miller. Running hard to the nativist right, McCormick ran ads like this one that touted an endorsement from Border Patrol union president Brandon Judd after his history of promoting the great replacement conspiracy theory was well documented. Despite nativism failing to deliver for McCormick last cycle, he is likely to run the same playbook again.
TX-AG: The upper chamber of the Texas legislature voted to sanction corruption over the weekend. Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted on all 16 counts, with only two Republicans in the state Senate voting to convict him. Most of the Republicans in the House had voted to oust Paxton for his blatant corruption. Indicative of the raw selfish lust for power, hack partisanship, and blatant corruption at play, Axios reported threats of primary challenges against those who voted against Paxon. A move that shows that Texas may be open for business, but anyone looking to do business might need to cut the Attorney General in. Check out some more details and reactions HERE.
WEEKLY STATS OF NATIVIST NARRATIVE
Of the 525 GOP Twitter accounts we track, this week, they sent:
733 original tweets peddling anti-immigrant attacks mentioning “border”
124 original tweets about “open borders,” with Marjorie Taylor Greene tweet having the most reach with 215.4K Views, 4,619 Retweets, and 12.5K Likes.
56 original tweets that used “Biden Border Crisis” with Ted Cruz tweet having the most reach with 125.3K Views, 1,183 Retweets, and 3,375 Likes.
31 original tweets that mentioned both “fentanyl” and “border” with Marjorie Taylor Greene tweet having the most reach with 284K views, 1,856 Retweets and 5,017 Likes.
