In a democracy, politicians reflect the thinking and attitudes of their constituents, or they wouldn’t be elected. And American politics have always been rowdy, often racist, and sometimes borderline violent. But at the end of the day, a congressman can choose to stay within civilized bounds, or cross the threshold into the realm of vile, despicable behavior. Being a racist, lying jerk peddling false and defamatory stereotypes of entire groups of people is a voluntary choice.
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA; photo, left) is no stranger to controversy. This ex-cop and ex-car salesman from a state with a strong racist tradition can’t hold himself back when he reacts to a demonized Haitian group pressing for criminal misdemeanor charges against Trump and Vance for inciting bomb threats and school evacuations in their community with lies that Higgins repeats in the tweet below (read story here). Which puts him in the same class as them.
GOP Speaker Mike Johnson has the nerve to call Higgins a “principled man” (see story here). I’ll say this: As long as Republican voters keep electing people like Higgins, and the Republican Party continues aiding, abetting, and defending them, it won’t be seen as a responsible political party that adheres to civilized norms.
By the way, Higgins deleted the tweet after being confronted by the Congressional Black Caucus chair (see story here) like a rat scurrying back into its hole. Read here why Higgins was fired as a police officer.
Related stories: A CNN panel that included conservatives erupted against Higgins, and called for his expulsion from Congress (read story here). A Pennsylvania borough manager abruptly shot down Trump’s lies about the Haitian workers in his town (details here).
