- Boehner slammed the attempt by a group of Republicans from the House to establish an ‘America First Caucus’.
- On NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Boehner called the idea one of the “most beautiful” things he had ever seen.
- “We have to celebrate the fact that we are this giant crucible,” he said.
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Former GOP House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday dismissed the plan for several Republicans to form an ‘America First Caucus’, calling it one of the “most beautiful” things he has ever seen.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Boehner, who served as speaker from 2011 to 2015, joined the group.
“I can tell you that this so-called America First Caucus is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Punchbowl News Friday report that conservative GOP representatives, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona, were building a Republican caucus centered on ‘Anglo-Saxon political traditions’ that included mass immigration and coronavirus-related would resist.
On Saturday, Greene said she would not lead an “America First Caucus,” adding that she had not read the document that Punchbowl News released the previous day.
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Boehner criticized the worldview of those who devised such a caucus.
“I have no idea how it even turned up,” he emphasizes. “America is a country of immigration. We have been the world’s giant crucible for 250 years. And we should celebrate that we are this giant crucible.
He added: “To see some members of Congress start this America First Caucus is – it’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. And Republicans have to denounce it.”
GOP House minority leader Kevin McCarthy of California reprimanded attempt via Twitter on Friday.
“America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and that success is earned through honest, hard work,” he wrote. “It’s not built on identity, race or religion. The Republican Party is Lincoln’s party and the party that provides more opportunities for all Americans – not the nativist dog whistles.”
Later in his interview, Boehner expressed regret that he had not reached an agreement with former President Barack Obama on immigration reform.
“Our immigration system is a mess,” he said. “It’s broken from top to bottom. And it needs to be corrected so that it’s more honest for Americans who are here and more honest for those who try to come here.”