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The MAGA Disunity Coalition: RNC Opening Night Speakers Incite Political Violence, Deny Elections, Cover Up Trump Crimes

Jul 15, 2024

So much for unifying the country. Tonight in Milwaukee, Republicans are holding the first night of their national convention after nominating convicted felon Donald Trump for president and his loyal lackey J.D. Vance as his VP. The lineup for the opening night features some of the most extreme members of the MAGA wing of the Republican party, including 2020 election deniers and people who have refused to condemn political violence. Rather than bringing the country together, the RNC is elevating some of the most divisive voices in politics, all to help convicted felon Donald Trump, who has done more to threaten our democracy and promote politics than anyone else on stage tonight.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14)

Greene Immediately Blamed Democrats For The Assassination Attempt Against Donald Trump, Writing on Twitter in the hours after the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, Greene said, “I have so many questions about how this 20-year-old was able to nearly pull off assassinating Pres Trump by himself. This reeks of something a lot more sinister and bigger. There are too many things that do not make sense. I don’t care what anyone says about me saying this, because everyone knows we are all thinking it. Fine call me a conspiracy theorist. I don’t give a damn. The insane left have been fantasizing out loud about killing Trump for years. Prove me wrong.”  Greene, who has previously called for a “national divorce,” also appeared on Real America’s Voice in the hours immediately after the shooting to talk in apocalyptic terms calling politics today, “a battle between good and evil.” 

Greene Is An Extreme Trump Supporter and January 6 Participant.  Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of Donald Trump’s most extreme and devoted backers in the House.  Greene relentlessly spread lies about the 2020 election being “stolen” and was a key figure working in Congress to overturn the results in Donald Trump’s favor.  Greene texted White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows frequently for strategic guidance on overturning the election and she went as far as to suggest declaring martial law to keep Trump in office. She also reportedly attended a December 21 White House meeting focused on efforts to pressure Mike Pence to help overturn the election.  Greene’s eligibility to run for office was unsuccessfully challenged because of her leadership in the events of January 6.  Greene was one of only 21 Republicans to vote against awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to law enforcement who responded during the January 6 attack and in 2024 she co-sponsored a non-binding resolution proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”   

North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson

Two Weeks Ago Mark Robinson Gave a Speech About How “Some Folks Need Killing.” Mark Robinson used a June 30, 2024 speech about freedom to talk about how he sees the United States “slipping away” from the Declaration of Independence and how he thinks “wicked people” should be punished by the military and police.  Robinson said, “There was a time when we used to meet evil on the battlefield. And guess what we did to it? We killed it. We didn’t quibble about it. We didn’t argue about it. We didn’t fight about it. We killed it. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, what did we do? We flew to Japan and we killed the Japanese army and navy.” “We didn’t even quibble about it. I didn’t start this fight, you did! You want to be left alone, you should have left me alone. We didn’t argue and capitulate and talk about, ‘Well, maybe we shouldn’t fight the Nazis that hard.’ No, they’re bad. Kill them. Some liberal somewhere is gonna say that sounds awful. Too bad,” Robinson said to the congregation. “Get mad at me if you want to. Some folks need killing,” he said.  In October of 2022, Robinson openly joked about the brutal attack on Paul Pelosi posting a picture of a fake Halloween costume depicting Pelosi’s “attacker” which included underwear, hammers, and a “lame story to tell the press.”  “I’m sorry Paul I don’t believe you or the press!!!!” Robinson captioned the post. 

Mark Robinson Is A Holocaust Denier, An Anti-LGBT Extremist, And Believes Women Shouldn’t Vote.  In Facebook posts, Robinson has repeatedly denied the Holocaust. In one 2018 post, he wrote that “this foolishness about Hitler disarming MILLIONS of Jews and then marching them off to concentration camps is a bunch of hogwash.”  In another post, published in 2017, Robinson wrote that “there is a REASON the liberal media fills the airwaves with programs about the NAZI and the ‘6 million Jews’ they murdered,” placing the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust in scare quotes.  In a 2021 sermon before a North Carolina church, Robinson referred to LGBTQ people as “filth” and in campaign remarks earlier this year he said transgender women should be arrested for using women’s restrooms.  In 2020, Robinson said at a campaign event, “I absolutely want to go back to the America where women couldn’t vote.” 

Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk is a Christian Nationalist whose organization bussed hundreds of supporters to DC on January 6.  Kirk is a far-right conservative activist. He founded Turning Point USA, an organization pushing right-wing grievances on young students. Turning Point USA bussed hundreds of supporters to Washington, DC on January 6, including at least one man who was charged with assaulting police officers in the ensuing riot.  The organization has been sponsored by a network of right-wing think tanks and hate groups, including the Heritage Foundation, the NRA, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and more. Kirk has a history of pushing Christian nationalism, declaring in 2022, “There is no separation of church and state. It’s a fabrication. It’s a fiction. It’s not in the Constitution.” 

Kirk Has A History of Racism and Antisemitism. Kirk has a long history of racist and antisemitic remarks. Less than a year ago, Kirk supported an antisemitic post suggesting that immigrants to the United States “don’t exactly like [Jewish people] too much,” and said, “Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.” In January, Kirk also confessed to harboring racist beliefs about Black pilots, telling his audience, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m gonna be like ‘boy, I hope he is qualified.’”

Sen. Ron Johnson (WI)

Ron Johnson Is The Senate’s Leading Conspiracy Theorist And Fake Elector Scheme Participant.  Senator Ron Johnson has been called the leading conspiracy theorist in the Senate and was a key participant in Donald Trump’s scheme to overturn the 2020 election. Johnson was a major propagator of false election conspiracy theories and used his position as Chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee to hold a hearing in December 2020 where he discussed baseless concerns about “fraudulent  votes and ballot staffing” and alleged “corruption of voting machines and software that might be programmed to add or switch votes.” Johnson attended a meeting on January 4 led by Trump ally and conspiracy theorist MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to discuss ways to delay certification of Joe Biden’s victory and planned to vote against certification of the Electoral College before changing his mind after the violence of January 6.  Johnson also participated in Trump’s fake elector scheme.  Shortly before Congress met to certify Biden’s victory, Johnson’s top aide Sean Riley texted a staffer for Mike Pence that the senator wished to give the Vice President an “Alternate slate of electors for MI and WI because archivist didn’t receive them. After initially denying his involvement and blaming Rep. Mike Kelly for transmitting the false electors to his office, Johnson later admitted he “played a two-minute role” in Trump’s criminal conspiracy to overturn the election and confirmed that Trump’s lawyer in Wisconsin asked him to deliver “a document regarding Wisconsin electors” to Pence prior to the ceremony.  Johnson continues to push a series of false claims and conspiracy theories downplaying the severity of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, claiming that it was was actually “left-wing ‘provocateurs’ and ‘fake’ Trump supporters” who were behind the attack and suggesting that House Democrats only impeached Trump as a “diversionary operation” to cover up their own responsibility for the riot.  

Gov. Kristi Noem (SD)

Kristi Noem Was One Of The Biggest Proponents Of The “Big Lie”  Noem has long been one of Donald Trump’s closest allies and she embraced all of his conspiracy theories about a “rigged” election in 2020, including joining the Texas lawsuit seeking to throw out the votes in four swing states. Trump rewarded Noem’s loyalty with an endorsement in February 2022. Noem is also closely allied with election conspiracy theorist and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.  Lindell held his “Cyber Symposium” of conspiracy theorists in Sioux Falls in August 2021 where he claimed he would reveal proof that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Noem has traveled on Lindell’s private plane on several occasions, including to an RGA meeting in Florida where Lindell was ejected for confronting Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp with false allegations about voter fraud in their states. 

Kristi Noem Proudly Admitted To Killing A Puppy In Her Recent Memoir. Just a few months ago, Noem published a book in which she admitted to killing a 14-month-old dog she owned, spending several pages describing her attempting to train the family pet using a shock collar and eventually resorting to shooting the puppy in a gravel pit.

Rep. Wesley Hunt (TX-38)

Wesley Hunt backed a resolution absolving Trump of responsibility for inciting violence on January 6.  Wesley Hunt was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”  

Rep. John James (MI-10)

John James Tried To Overturn His Own Election Loss In 2020. John James ran for Senate and lost in 2018 and 2020 before being elected to the House in the 10th District in 2022. In 2020, James lost to Sen. Gary Peters by more than 90,000 votes, but for three weeks after the election, he refused to acknowledge his defeat, fanning debunked allegations that the election had been stolen citing “irregularities” and demanding audits of the vote. Just like Donald Trump, James exploited a delay in conceding his defeat to renew fundraising efforts, ostensibly to bankroll litigation he hoped would overturn the election results, and like Donald Trump, James has ties to the Proud Boys militia.

Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19)

Rep. Byron Donalds Voted To Overturn The Election And Is One Of Trump’s Most Loyal Backers In The House.  Shortly after being sworn into office himself, Rep. Byron Donalds voted against certification of the Electoral College, claiming that he wanted to “ask legitimate questions to restore faith in our election system.” Donalds also joined a letter to Nancy Pelosi with 25 other Republican members-elect demanding an investigation  “of the irregularities in November’s election.” Donalds traveled to New York to back Donald Trump in his criminal trial and was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Marsha Blackburn Immediately Blamed The Assassination Attempt On Donald Trump On Joe Biden.  Shortly after the July 13 shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, PA, Marsha Blackburn took to social media to criticize President Joe Biden for not immediately responding to the shooting.  Blackburn went on to post: “Just days ago, Biden said ‘It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.’ Today, there was an assassination attempt against President Trump.”

Marsha Blackburn Initially Planned To Object To Certification Of The 2020 Election, But Changed Her Mind After The Events Of January 6.  On January 2, 2021, Marsha Blackburn announced that she would object to certification of “tainted” electoral votes for Joe Biden.  After the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6, Blackburn reversed course and voted to certify the election.