Missouri’s junior Republican senator, Josh Hawley, hopes Republicans use right-wing laws — like abortion bans — to terrorize political opponents and accumulate more power.
Hawley spoke with reporters after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday and explained his hope for a future dominated by right-wing politics. According to Hawley, that vision involves a nation where liberals flee from states run by Republicans.
“I think we will see a major sorting out across the country that is already underway, as we speak, as states move to change their laws or adopt new laws in response to this decision,” he said, according to Insider.
Who knows where Hawley’s confidence that purple states will go red is coming from? Voter suppression, maybe?
To Hawley’s point, we have begun to hear heart-wrenching stories of pregnant people being turned away from abortion clinics and forced to ponder whether they can survive right-wing oppression in their states. Those have been stories of life-altering devastation. But Hawley seems to think that’s a good thing.
“More and more red states, they’re going to become more red, and purple states are going to become red, and the blue states are going to get a lot bluer,” he said.
Who knows where Hawley’s confidence that purple states will go red is coming from? Voter suppression, maybe?
Nonetheless, he said Republicans will be a shoo-in for future elections once — you know — Democrats are scared into liberal enclaves, where they’ll be disempowered by an Electoral College that has historically given conservative states outsize power.
“I would look for Republicans, as a result of this in time, to extend their strength in the Electoral College,” he said. “And that’s very good news for those of us who want to see Republican presidents elected, that want to see a Supreme Court that remains conservative.”
That’s fascism, Josh.
This is an authoritarian plot to offer Americans three options: comply, run or be crushed.
His plan calls for making GOP-led states so unlivable for nonconservatives that they’re forced to flee — and then taking political advantage of their absence.
This isn’t the strategy of politicians who intend to live in a country where people make decisions of their own volition. This is an authoritarian plot to offer Americans three options: Comply, run or be crushed.
The plot isn’t far off from a legislative equivalent to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy in Ukraine: Terrorize Ukrainians until they flee, occupy their territory and essentially claim it — all in an attempt to expand Russia’s influence.
It’s safe to say Hawley and the GOP won’t be deterred by this comparison. But the sane among us should take note that he openly espoused this deeply undemocratic theory on a call full of news reporters.
The GOP is declaring war on democracy. And Hawley is flaunting their battle plans out in the open.
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Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.