The former Florida representative believes that there is an "anti-Christian" sentiment festering within today's Republican Party.
Former Republican congressman David Jolly had a few controversial words just ahead of the primary elections in Georgia. The ex-GOP representative said during an appearance on MSNBC this week that the modern Republican Party has "an anti-democratic, authoritarian ... xenophobic, culture war, divisive, angry platform."
"There is an anti-Christian theme in today's Republican Party," Jolly explained, as reported by The Blaze. "This whole 'what would Jesus do' constituency, absolutely not. It is adverse to everything that Jesus would do."
Jolly urged Democrats to "take back that faith argument from a party today who is acting with values antithetical to the Christian and faith-based evangelical movement."
The ex-GOP rep's comments come at a time when abortion rights are in danger of being overthrown following a Supreme Court draft opinion leak. Jolly previously served as a congressman for Florida's 13th congressional district, based in Pinellas County, from March 2014, when he won a special election, then again winning a full term that same year. He lost a re-election bid in 2016 to Democrat Charlie Crist.
Former Republican Leader Explains Why He Left the GOP
In 2018, jolly shared that he left the Republican Party and "registered with no party affiliation." Today, the ex-GOP rep is the executive chairman of the SAM party, a group of former Democrats, former Republicans, and independents whose common goal was "to fix our broken politics in America."
The party's website said that the SAM party was created for the "millions of Americans who are tired of choosing between the lesser of two evils" and that they were made up of voters who felt "betrayed" by their own parties and are now "brave enough to build something better."
Following his departure from the Republican Party in 2018, Jolly has found a niche in left-leaning networks, often attacking the GOP, Fox News reported. Just in the Fall of 2021, he was one of the many liberal analysts who criticized parents protesting critical race theory curriculum in schools and labeled them as "real threats" and violent "maniacs."
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GOP Leaders Pushing for White Christian Nationalism
Contrary to Jolly's claims, however, is the rise of the White Christian nationalism movement within the Republican Party most notably in the hands of Doug Mastriano, a retired Army colonel and participant in the January 6 protest at Capitol Hill who is now running for governor of Pennsylvania. According to the Washington Post, the Iraq and Afghanistan veteran is leading the polls. In fact, NBC News reports that Mastriano got 43.9% or 589,830, more than half of Lou Barletta's 20.3% or 272,387, and nearly three times more than Bill McSwain's 15.8% or 211,890.
WaPo describes Mastriano as "proof of the rising intensity of Christian nationalism that has rooted itself firmly in the Republican Party" alongside the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Trump-endorsed Mastriano is poised to lead a "new movement [that] wants to see a more explicit, constitutionally approved dominance of 'Christianity'" that is "politically, theologically and socially" conservative.
Mastriano told audiences earlier this month, "The forces of darkness are hitting us really hard right now. We're going to bring the state back to righteousness, this is our day, our hour to take our state back and renew the blessings of America."
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