PFAW Calls on Republican Presidential Candidates to Renounce Frank Gaffney

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Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:14 pm

On Wednesday, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reported that Islamophobe Frank Gaffney invited white nationalist Jared Taylor to appear on his Secure Freedom radio show Tuesday.

You might remember Frank Gaffney from this summer. He was the conservative who wanted to cut off foreign aid to Latin America in order to put an end to immigration by putting pressure at the source, as though those countries can stop people from leaving.

On Tuesday, the following exchange, which seems to be more about protecting bikini-clad American women from dark-skinned people looking at them (ring a bell?) than any rational immigration policy concerns, took place:

Gaffney: At some point there will be a very vigorous resistance to the infusion into these countries of large numbers of people who don’t assimilate, many of them Muslim who bring with them a Sharia ideological program that is antithetical to the culture and civilization and polities of European nations. Do you anticipate, as we’re seeing now evidence of increasing violence, notably against women, on the part of these refugees, not all of them by any means but some, rapes now becoming a serious problem in some of the refugee holding areas, and demonstrations and in some cases worse that are breaking out in various parts of Europe when they’re not accommodated to their satisfaction, that you may see in fact Europe devolving once again into the types of cataclysms that it has from time immemorial with, you know, blood letting taking place. Is that overreaching at this point or perhaps just a distant possibility?

Taylor: We have unleashed now what would not be an exaggeration to call almost demonic forces. We have close to a million now of these so-called refugees, most of whom are young men. They are young, single men. Most of whom have never seen a woman in a bikini in their lives. Most of them are part of, as you say, this Sharia culture that despises any woman who walks around with her face uncovered, with her legs bare. These people are going to be all sorts of trouble for Europe for many, many years to come.

On Thursday, People for the American Way (PFAW) responded by noting that,

“Anti-Muslim activist Frank Gaffney had on his radio show well-known white nationalist Jared Taylor, who has called African-Americans “crime-prone” and “deviant” and said that his goal is to ensure the “biological and cultural continuity” of white people in America. On the show, Gaffney said that he “appreciated tremendously” Taylor’s work. While that’s all heinous on its own, seven of the Republican presidential candidates have appeared on Gaffney’s program or spoken at his events, including recent campaign events in early primary states.”

In response to the interview, PFAW President Michael B. Keegan issued the following statement:

This is a new low, even considering how hard all the leading Republican candidates have been courting the xenophobic Republican base enthralled with Trump.

All of the Republican candidates should cut ties with Gaffney immediately and refuse to go on his show or speak at future events he sponsors. The Republican Party should not give any space to white nationalism.

Frank Gaffney’s Center for Security Policy has hosted Ben Carson, Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal and Ted Cruz, all of whom have spoken at at least one CSP event.

“Just this month, Gaffney cosponsored a rally against the Iran nuclear deal that was headlined by Trump, Cruz, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. Carson appeared on his radio program this month; Cruz, Jindal and Rand Paul have joined the program in the past.”

This is not surprising when you consider that the Southern Poverty Law Center refers to Gaffney as “the anti-Muslim movement’s most paranoid propagandist,” (in Republican-speak, an “expert,” that is, somebody who is deeply concerned about something he doesn’t understand), or that Gaffney was the man behind Michele Bachmann’s obsession with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Media Matters for America (MMFA) also tried to get to the bottom of things following the interview, and reveals that The Center for Security Policy issued a statement to Media Matters claiming that Gaffney “was unfamiliar with Mr. Taylor’s views on other matters and did not discuss or endorse them”:

Secure Freedom Radio is a weeknightly talk show program that addresses national security challenges and how they best can be countered. It features interviews with a wide variety of guests on myriad topics. Among the guests are individuals with whom the host, Frank Gaffney, and the Center for Security Policy disagree, both on topics discussed in the course of the show and on issues and viewpoints not covered in the course of the interview. The interview with Jared Taylor addressed exclusively a recent article by him concerning the dire implications for Europe, its people and civilization of large numbers of migrants from nations in which shariah-adherence is the norm. The host was unfamiliar with Mr. Taylor’s views on other matters and did not discuss or endorse them.

Right. That’s why Gaffney concluded the interview by endorsing them: “I appreciate tremendously the work you’re doing at American Renaissance and The New Century Foundation. Keep it up and get back to us again very soon.”

As MMFA observes, “Despite his fringe history, Gaffney is still a regular source of information for the conservative media. He works for the Washington Times as a columnist and is a frequent guest on conservative outlets like Fox News.”

On Wednesday, The Center for Security Policy issued a statement regarding Taylor’s appearance on Gaffney show and reiterated that,

Subsequently, Mr. Gaffney had a chance to examine those views and the American Renaissance website on which they appear. There is much there with which he strongly disagrees. Had due diligence been done beforehand, such disagreements would have resulted in Mr. Taylor not being invited on the show, routine compliments to such guests not made and an offer to appear again not extended.

Of course, we are not told what, specifically, Gaffney disagreed with. You have to wonder what would be so horrible that a bigot like Gaffney would not endorse it.

White nationalism is a systemic problem. It is not isolated to a few candidates or a few Religious Right demagogues. It is shared by large numbers of the conservative base, and Fox News is complicit in spreading this white nationalist propaganda.

The 2016 elections will be about more than rich vs. poor or black lives matter or a war on women or even a war on immigrants and immigration. Next year’s voting will be a referendum on apartheid, and it has never been more clear that a vote for the GOP is a vote of support for white nationalism.

It’s time, America, to pick your side.

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Hrafnkell Haraldsson

Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen's Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.

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