Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick probably hoped that making a strong statement against antisemitism and calling on Republicans to roust hatemongers from their ranks would put an end to weeks of controversy that began with the revelation of a meeting between a hard-right GOP strategist and a notorious white supremacist.
Give Patrick credit for mincing no words: “If you are anti-Semitic, if you admire Hitler and don’t believe the Holocaust happened in Europe, if you hate Jews, you are NOT a Republican and you are not welcome in our party,” he said. “Every Republican group in the state, no matter how small or how large, including our state party, needs to root out this cancer.”
But the reality is that there are too many connections and much work to do. Patrick and other Republican leaders must follow through, especially by teaching some young activists a better way.
The Texas incident spotlighted the problem on the right. But it exists on the left, too, as illustrated by outrageous antisemitism unleashed in response to the heinous terrorist attacks on Israel. Too many college campuses have been revealed as hotbeds of hatred toward Jews here and abroad.
Extremism in our politics is taking firmer root, and removing it won’t be an easy or short project. Perhaps it’s the result of decades of deep polarization, in which much political motivation manifests as hatred of the other side. Fighting online, where dehumanization of one’s opponent is too easy, reinforces a warped sense of community in which hateful voices echo louder than they should.
In Texas, given the state’s conservative leaning, we see more of this on the right than the left. It was nonetheless disturbing to learn that Jonathan Stickland, the former state representative, had hosted a meeting at his political consulting office that included Nick Fuentes, a pernicious hatemonger.
After the Texas Tribune broke that story, it quickly became another flashpoint between Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, who have battled on property taxes, the impeachment of Ken Paxton, school choice and just about every other issue facing the state. Stickland was removed as president of the Defend Texas Liberty political action committee, the latest big-money vehicle for West Texas billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks to try to unseat Republicans they see as insufficiently conservative.
Patrick assured Texans that the group realized its mistake, but the controversy lingered. The lieutenant governor’s statement Monday was an effort to move on. You know he’s serious about that goal, at least, because Patrick said his campaign would take $3 million to buy Israeli government bonds. It’s the same amount donated or loaned by the political committee just before Patrick presided over Paxton’s trial.
In the meantime, though, diligent reporting has revealed deeper connections among Stickland and his group and young online personalities who, at a minimum, have flirted with antisemitism and other hate. So, perhaps the extent of the political contamination dawned on Patrick late. Whatever the case, he is the most prominent elected official associated closely with far-right groups such as those run by Dunn and Wilks, and he must work to roust hate from the party’s ranks. Patrick was specific about the need for the GOP and aligned groups to carefully review past statements and social media accounts in hiring, a good step that should have already been taken.
Prominent Democrats must speak up, too, against the dangerous anti-Israeli sentiment on the left. We’d prefer strong support of Israel’s right — the same as any other state’s — to live free of terrorism. But it’s impossible not to notice how many young leftists slide quickly from defending innocent Gaza residents to echoing sick rhetoric about eliminating Israel and embracing antisemitic tropes.
Each side of the American political divide must police itself, not just critique the other. It’s harder in an era of instant communication and so much vitriol. But if conservative champion William F. Buckley could lead the effort to squelch the Bircher movement on the right in the 1950s and ’60s, surely someone with a megaphone as big as Patrick’s can make an impact.
In just the last few weeks, we’ve seen an alarming spike of hateful attacks on Jewish people and institutions, obnoxious threats to GOP lawmakers because they dared to vote for the wrong candidate for House speaker, and increased danger to Muslim Americans simply based on backlash to the attacks on Israel. As war in the Middle East progresses, it’s vital that American leaders on all parts of the spectrum use their influence to denounce hate and encourage calm.
Patrick took too long, but at least he was forceful about it. He and others must follow through.
