- Republican leaders are recognizing that the sight of Republican lawmakers heckling the president of the United States didn’t do their party any favors. This behavior called attention to the fact that Republicans have repeatedly suggested cuts to Social Security and Medicare, or even the elimination of these programs, in speeches, news interviews, and written proposals.
- Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) told The Hill that Republicans should stick to “reasonable and enduring policy” proposals. This reflects the Republican Party’s problem of not having clear policies that voters support.
- Cutting Social Security is a centerpiece of the ideology the party adopted in the 1980s. This economic vision has cut services and neglected infrastructure while dramatically moving wealth upward.
- Republicans have combined their economic vision with a culture war. This has created a new ideology that is based in Christian nationalism, which insists that the United States is a Christian nation and our laws should be based in evangelical Christian values.
- Mitch McConnell and other Republicans are now condemning this new ideology. This is resulting in a rift within the Republican party.
- The extremists are on the same side as authoritarians like Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin. The United States is traditionally committed to global affairs and opposing autocracies, and this is reflected in Vice President Kamala Harris’s remarks at the Munich Security Conference.
- Mitch McConnell went to Munich to demonstrate U.S. commitment to global affairs. He promised that the Republicans will continue to support Ukraine, demonstrating that the party is not the “crazies” seen in the headlines.
Published February 19, 2023
Visit Letters from an American to read Heather Cox Richardson’s original post February 18, 2023
