IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

MaddowBlog

From The Rachel Maddow Show

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Address to Congress
Rep. Paul Gosar at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Congress about the Russian invasion on March 16.Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images, file

Paul Gosar finally comments on role at white nationalist event

It took five weeks, but the Arizonan finally provided an unsatisfying explanation for why he appeared at a white nationalist event.

By Steve Benen

In late February, a prominent white nationalist organized a right-wing event in Florida called the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC). Common decency — and common sense — suggests Republican elected officials would want nothing to do with AFPAC and its organizers.

And yet, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia spoke at the radical gathering, and Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona participated in the event by way of a pre-recorded video message. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said his members’ role at the extremist assembly was “appalling“ and “unacceptable,” before ultimately deciding to do effectively nothing.

Late last week, Politico reported that Gosar finally commented on the matter.

Rep. Paul Gosar is blaming his video appearance last month at a white nationalist-organized conference on his staff. The Arizona Republican also says he’s done with event organizer Nick Fuentes, a far-right fringe figure who’s trafficked in racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

“It wasn’t supposed to go to Nick’s group,” Gosar told Politico, noting that a staffer “misconstrued” directions from his chief of staff. According to the far-right congressman, the tape was intended to go to other conservative gatherings as a general “welcome video.”

The Arizonan went on to say that the video “just basically said, ‘Welcome to the Miami area. Have a great conference. The United States is at a crisis point.’” Gosar added that some groups had been “authorized” to receive the video, but due to a “miscommunication,” it was inadvertently sent to AFPAC organizers.

In other words, the congressman appeared via video at the white nationalist event, but we’re now supposed to believe he did so accidentally.

To be sure, it’s helpful that Gosar commented at all about the controversy, but I have a couple of follow-up questions.

First, if there was a simple “miscommunication,” why exactly did it take the Republican lawmaker five weeks to explain what happened?

Second, if Gosar doesn’t want to be associated with the America First Political Action Conference or its white nationalist organizer, why did he deliver the keynote address at last year’s AFPAC event?

As for the Arizonan’s role on Capitol Hill, McCarthy told reporters that he’d have a private chat with Gosar about his appearance. Asked whether he’d spoken to the minority leader about this, Gosar told Politico he hadn’t.

“Why would I?” he said, adding that he sent McCarthy a copy of the video. “So there is nothing there,” Gosar concluded.

Related:

Steve Benen

Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics."