Despite Overwhelming Condemnation, the Texas GOP Continues To Market Itself As the Party of Conspiracy-led Extremists
AUSTIN, Texas — Since this summer, the Republican Party of Texas and its Chairman Allen West have faced increased backlash about the party’s QAnon conspiracy theory inspired slogan, “We Are the Storm”.
West and GOP leadership refuse to take down the slogan, even after a violent mob of QAnon conspiracists, led by Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Ken Paxton, attacked the US Capitol building on January 6.
This weekend, Texas Republicans shifted the party even further towards dangerous right-wing extremism by announcing the party would be posting on Gab.com, an alternative technology platform commonly used by White Nationalist and Neo-Nazi groups to share their hate-filled ideology.
“The Texas Republican Party has been criticized for using a slogan associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory in the wake of the deadly attack on the Capitol. The Texas GOP tweeted an image on Saturday urging people to follow the party on “free speech” social media app Gab.”
“The Gab platform has almost no censorship rules and is known to be used by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists. It has attracted waves of new users since the Parler app was shut down for promoting the insurrection on January 6.”
Texas Democratic Party Communications Director Abhi Rahman issued the following statement:
“The Republican Party of Texas is being led by an internet cult that believes in dangerous and deadly extreme far-right conspiracy theories and false narratives that led to an attack on the US Capitol on January 6.
“West can try to deny the party’s connection to a group the FBI has labeled as domestic terrorists, but it’s there in plain sight for everybody to see.
“Now Texas Republicans are pushing their followers to use an app commonly used by White supremacists, groups who have been actively plotting to attack the federal government.
“Enough is enough. Greg Abbott, John Cornyn, and the rest of the Texas Republican Party must take a public stand against QAnon and disavow this hateful and violent slogan. Words matter.”
