House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is challenging former President George W. Bush’s assessment that the Republican Party of today is “isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent, nativist.”
During a weekly press conference on Thursday, the California Republican was asked about Bush’s comments. He said, “If I looked at the last election, the Republican Party in Congress — if you’re looking at Congress — has elected more women than at any time in the history of the Republican Party.”
“Every single Democrat that lost, 15 lost, lost to a Republican woman or a Republican minority. So, the description that I heard you say seems quite different than what reality is playing out today,” he added.
He went on to note that he stripped former Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) of his committee assignments after King asked why the term “white supremacist” is “offensive” during an interview with The New York Times.
Additionally, he pointed to his denunciation of a reported draft proposal of an “America First” caucus. A document obtained by Punchbowl News about the proposed caucus said that America is “a nation, with a border, and a culture, strengthened by uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions.”
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) were reportedly leading the push to launch the caucus.
“We will always condemn any language and any racism that we see in that process,” McCarthy added.
Watch the video below:
Reporter asks about former President George W. Bush describing the Republican party as " isolationist, protectionist and, to a certain extent, nativist."
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 22, 2021
@GOPLeader: "The description that I heard you say seems quite different than what reality is playing out today." pic.twitter.com/EFxvBYmybD
During an interview with NBC’s “Today,” Bush was asked how he would describe the party.
He said, “I would describe it as isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent, nativist.”
The reported draft proposal of the “America First Caucus” received criticism from Democrats and Republicans who denounced racism and nativism.
Amid the backlash over the draft proposal, a spokesman for Greene told CNN, “The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved.”