This week, a GOP group supported by top Republican leaders made it clear that it believes that if you are non-white, you are simply not a “real” American.
On Wednesday, following Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s (D-NY) powerful Spanish language response to Donald Trump’s unhinged, anti-immigrant and lie-riddled speech joint address to Congress Tuesday night, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) stated in a social media post that “Democrats literally chose an illegal immigrant to give their response to President Trump’s address.”
Always keeping it classy, racists at NRCC, chaired by NC’s Richard Hudson and the political operation of the most devout Christian Mike Johnson, tweeted this about one of their Dem colleagues @repespaillat.bsky.social But, you know, Rep Green calling out Trump’s lies is what lacked decorum
— Joe Sudbay (@joesudbay.bsky.social) 2025-03-06T00:01:19.671Z
Let’s be clear: Rep. Espaillat – an elected member of Congress since 2017 and the current chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) – is a U.S. citizen who was naturalized more than four decades ago. He is an American, period. And let’s also be clear about the entity that launched this despicable, racist attack. The NRCC is not just any GOP-aligned group, but the political arm of the House Republican Caucus and self-described as “a political committee devoted to increasing the number of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Currently, the NRCC’s chair is Rep. Richard Hudson from North Carolina. But, let’s not pretend that it’s not the Speaker’s entity. It is. Hudson does Johnson’s bidding.
In 2024, the NRCC spent around $220 million to keep Johnson as the Speaker in 2024. Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise were its biggest contributors, according to Open Secrets. Johnson, Scalise and Hudson have all embraced and spewed the deadly white nationalist Great Replacement theory.
Some of the biggest beneficiaries in 2024 were David Valadao in CA-22, Pat Bresnahan in PA-08 (both signed the letter urging Johnson against the GOP plan to slash Medicaid), Gabe Evans in CO-08. But, they were also actively helping Juan Ciscomani in AZ-06 (another letter signer) and Mike Lawler in NY-17, among others.
When the NRCC speaks, it speaks for the House GOP conference. There’s been no dearth of vile, anti-immigrant advertising from the NRCC over the past few years. But, the group’s tweet this week attacking a Democratic member of Congress is a new low – even for them. What’s also low is that the GOP counterpart to the CHC, the Congressional Hispanic Conference, and its Republican chair Tony Gonzales (TX-23) have remained silent amid the NRCC’s ugly attack questioning a fellow Latino lawmaker’s very identity as an American. It’s something that should transcend party lines, but they have so far failed to come to their colleague’s defense.
This xenophobic rhetoric from Trump Republicans proves that you can follow the law, get your papers, become a citizen, get elected to Congress — swear multiple oaths to protect and defend the Constitution — and all you will ever be to Trump Republicans: an “illegal immigrant.”
— Congressional Hispanic Caucus (@hispaniccaucus.bsky.social) 2025-03-06T01:50:13.609Z
As the Congressional Hispanic Caucus responded, “This xenophobic rhetoric from Trump Republicans proves that you can follow the law, get your papers, become a citizen, get elected to Congress — swear multiple oaths to protect and defend the Constitution — and all you will ever be to Trump Republicans: an ‘illegal immigrant.’”
Sadly, it’s a pattern from Republicans, and in particular House Republicans with tactic approval from Johnson. Last year, it wasn’t enough for them to launch their baseless, unprecedented impeachment effort against then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It appeared they also wanted to kick him out of the country he served as well. Tucked in Republicans’ final report was language calling for “deporting” Mayorkas from his job. In case you missed it, Secretary Mayorkas is a naturalized U.S. citizen and the first Latino to head the department.
House Republicans have also repeatedly called for the deportation of Ilhan Omar (MN-5), a naturalized U.S. citizen and former refugee. Just this month, Republican Brandon Gill (TX-26) circulated a petition calling on her to be kicked out of the country. “I’m not a nepo baby,” she responded. “I had to crawl my way into Congress, and I think these idiots who buy their seats have no idea what a privilege it is to be a member of Congress and what it takes.” Also this month, Lawler is facing backlash after questioning the citizenship of a local Latino legislator during a public meeting. The local official, Westchester County Democrat Jose Alvarado, is an American citizen. The NRCC’s tweet was not a mistake by an intern. It’s part of a pattern.
With an increasing amount of pushback by state and national leaders, the NRCC’s tweet was just deleted this afternoon, leaving it online for more than 24 hours. The only logical explanation was that they meant it and truly do believe that anyone non-white – even if it’s a U.S. citizen, even if it’s a federally-elected official, and even if it’s their own colleague and someone they know and work with every single day – can never be a “real” American.
It falls in line with the GOP’s disgusting and bigoted attacks deeming a non-white person “deportable” or outright threatening them with ICE. It is their mainstream position. Otherizing and deporting is a central part of the agenda put forward by Trump, who as part of his mass detention and mass family separation agenda is trying to end birthright citizenship via executive fiat. Think of the practical implications under this. Non-white American children, born right here in the United States, stateless and denied basic rights, leaving them subject to abuse, exploitation, and violence right in their own country. Luckily, numerous courts have been explicit that this effort is “blatantly unconstitutional”.
Beyond the legal implications, attacks like that against Rep. Espaillat and other leaders of color strike at the heart of our best ideals and the very motto of our nation – e pluribus unum, out of many, one. Or said another way, Trump and his allies, including at the NRCC, believe that they get to be the sole arbiter of who gets to be an American. And they couldn’t be more wrong.
With a blatantly racist attack directed at one of its members, the Democratic caucus must come together as one to defend one of their own and stand up for what is right. This xenophobic attack on Rep. Espaillat was deliberate in choosing – to make him un-American. To make people that look like him feel like they’re not American enough, despite having all the “right” credentials and citizenship.
House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jefferies, only had one response: “disgusting”. As Vanessa Cardenas said yesterday, “This vile attack is another example of the disrespect that the Trump administration and his allies in Congress have for the Latino community and all immigrants in America. Speaker Johnson and Chair Hudson should have the decency to apologize for this attack from the GOP’s official campaign arm on their House colleague Adriano Espaillat.” We think every Democratic House member should demand that apology, starting with Leader Jeffires.
This is exactly the moment the Democrats should take charge and demand that the Republicans hold the same standards for their own party that they imposed on Rep. Al Green.
Many members of the Democratic caucus have publicly spoken out, and Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) is set to introduce a resolution condemning the racist attack. All Democrats should support it. Here are some Democrats who have already stood up for Rep. Espaillat:
- RepJuanVargas
- This is blatant racism. I stand with @RepEspaillat against this disgusting and xenophobic attack.It’s appalling to see Republicans fuel such hate against immigrant communities. The NRCC must be held accountable. https://t.co/OXoVBcxili
- RepChuyGarcia
- This is blatant racism meant to dehumanize all immigrants. My colleague, a proud U.S. citizen and strong advocate for the immigrant and Latino community, will never back down. It’s disgusting to see Republicans fueled by such hate particularly toward Black and Brown immigrants. https://t.co/i2IVIIcTUu
- RepLindaSanchez
- It’s not surprising that Trump’s Republican Party doesn’t know or care that you must be a citizen to run for Congress. Work hard, follow the law, and dedicate your life to public service, they’ll still call you an ‘illegal immigrant.’ NRCC Chairman Hudson must apologize. https://t.co/bAvlbXpw1U
- NormaJTorres
- You’re clutching your pearls over a naturalized citizen giving the response?I get it—it must be tough watching foreign-born Americans succeed, especially since WE ARE the American Dream—a country built by immigrants, for immigrants.Meanwhile, as Trump struggles to put his… https://t.co/0ZKWogHaZQ
- yassaminansari
- Republicans call every immigrant they don’t like or don’t agree with “illegal” — because they’re racist. It’s sadly that simple.Disgusting. https://t.co/pWvtCXIs5I
From the birth of this country, marginalized people have always needed to fight to be fully recognized as an American. From Black Americans fighting to be their own citizens and abolish slavery to Asian Americans fighting to claim their birthright citizenship to Native Americans fighting for their citizenship despite being the first peoples here. It has been hundreds of years of dedication to fight against the notion that being an American citizen isn’t based on one’s skin color, ethnicity, or language. The Republican party and its mass deportation agenda aims to target undocumented immigrants, but by doing so, it puts all immigrant communities as a target and makes America White Again.
As Rep. Espaillat said in his interview, “This is not just about me – it’s about anyone who doesn’t look like them.”