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Extremism In The Mainstream

“It is a melting pot of 3rd world miscreants and ghetto thugs.”

—Florida assistant state attorney KENNETH LEWIS, in a June 12 Facebook post that resulted in his being fired, describing downtown Orlando hours after an Islamist radical murdered 49 people at an LGBT nightclub there

“This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you.”

—Former U.S. Rep. JOE WALSH (R-Ill.), who later deleted the July 7 tweet he sent hours after five Dallas police officers were murdered by a black sniper

“[T]he shooter was a martyr.”

—Former Miss Alabama KALYN JAMES, who in 1993 became the first African American to win that title, in a July 10 Facebook video praising Micah Xavier Johnson, who was killed by a police robot after murdering five Dallas police officers

“Where did any other subgroup of people contribute more to civilization?”

—U.S. Rep. STEVE KING (R-Iowa), who in a July 18 interview with MSNBC also suggested that “white people” have contributed more than other “categories of people”

“My culture is a very dominant culture. And it’s imposing, and it’s causing problems. If you don’t do something about it, you’re gonna have taco trucks on every corner.”

—Latinos for Trump founder MARCO GUTIERREZ, warning of the dangers of Mexican immigrants in a much-mocked Sept. 1 appearance on MSNBC

“Think of them like termites. They get into the wood of the house and they eat away at the very moral fabric of the foundation of our country.”

—Conservative Republicans of Texas president STEVEN HOTZE, claiming to a crowd on Oct. 29 that homosexuality was introduced to America by Soviet premier Nikita Kruschev as part of a plot to “create moral anarchy in our country”

“Holding up that f----- flag, it’s unforgivable to me, it’s unforgivable — and in an ideal society, people like Mr. Trump would also be put to death.”

—Anti-LGBT activist THEODORE SHOEBAT, reacting on Oct. 30 to Donald Trump’s holding up an “LGBTs for Trump” rainbow flag

“I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”

—Clay County, W. Va., Development Corporation Director PAMELA TAYLOR, in an early November Facebook post about Michelle Obama that cost her job and also led to the resignation of Clay Mayor BEVERLY WHALING, who wrote approvingly on the post