Nazi sympathizers...

McConnell speaks out against Greene and Gosar's appearance at white nationalist event

The two House conservatives attended a weekend conference organized by Nick Fuentes, a far-right fringe figure who asked attendees to give Russia "a round of applause."

By BURGESS EVERETT and OLIVIA BEAVERS

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is condemning fellow Republicans who engage with white nationalist groups, just days after GOP Reps. Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke at the extremist-backed America First Political Action Conference.

Asked for comment on Greene and Gosar’s participation in the event, where far-fright fringe organizer Nick Fuentes urged the crowd to give “a round of applause for Russia,” the Republican leader said in a statement on Monday afternoon: “There’s no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism.”

During the weekend conference, as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s army attacked Ukraine, a chant of “Putin” was heard in the crowd after Fuentes made his request for support of Moscow. Gosar spoke at the America First conference last year, when Fuentes urged the protection of the “white demographic core.”

Greene (R-Ga.) defended herself in a weekend statement after absorbing a deluge of criticism for her appearance at the America First event, criticizing the “Pharisees in the Republican Party” and arguing she “won’t abandon these young men and women” who attended. Her move nonetheless drew condemnation from several prominent Republicans including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

And other House conservatives sought distance from Gosar and Greene. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) put it this way: “I do not apologize for other members and what they say or what they do. I do not support white supremacists, like Nick Fuentes, period.”

The Republican National Committee recently censured Cheney and Rep Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) for their work with Democrats on investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a punishment that prompted criticism from McConnell and many other Senate Republicans who said the RNC had unfairly singled out the duo. The retiring Kinzinger said in an interview on Monday that his party should be focused on Greene and Gosar — not him — but had little confidence in that playing out.

“What I think we should do is kick them out of the party. What do I think we’re going to do? Nothing. Liz and I can get censured, they’re going to get help up as the future leaders of the party,” he said in an interview.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy “needs to do a press conference today denouncing Greene, Gosar, Fuentes, announcing Greene and Gosar are out of the conference, there’s no room for this,” Kinzinger added. “He’s not going to do that.”