We’ll close out our annual series of the outrageous and offensive things we heard from the right over the past year with a mix of nutty quotes.
“But also from the standpoint of sexual assault. When the lights are on, when you have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will on those types of acts.”
– U.S. Energy Secretary (and former Texas governor) Rick Perry, suggesting that expanding the use of fossil fuels would help stop sexual assault
“Ebola could solve America’s problems with atheism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography and abortion.”
– TruNews “end times” radio host Rick Wiles, talking about the supposed merits of an Ebola pandemic
“There is a technical term for their base. Bat crap crazy.”
– Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, talking about the Democratic Party’s base just a month after the inauguration of Republican President Donald Trump. Cruz is up for reelection in 2018.
“I am saying that consenting adults should be able to do whatever they want in their bedrooms. The media and the left seem obsessed with sex, let people do what they want.”
– Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, an ardent opponent of LGBT equality and reproductive rights, commenting after his Twitter account “liked” a tweet with pornographic content. He blamed a staffer for making a mistake on his Twitter feed.
“BODY SLAM EVERY JOURNALIST #Gianforte.”
– A now-deleted tweet from the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party (Texas), referring to a Republican congressional candidate in Montana who physically assaulted a journalist (and then went on to win his special election)
“It’s great to be out of the People’s Republic of Austin. As you leave Austin and start heading north, you start feeling different. Once you cross the Travis County line, it starts smelling different. And you know what that fragrance is? Freedom. It’s the smell of freedom that does not exist in Austin, Texas.”
– Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, apparently unaware that he was elected to serve all Texans, gratuitously insulting Travis County (Austin) residents
“Good on President Trump. Sharia law has no place in the United States of America.”
– Texas Agriculture Commissioner Side Miller, sharing on Facebook a fake “news story” about a court ruling that didn’t happen in a court that didn’t exist
“We found them [textbooks] to be full of political indoctrination, religious indoctrination, revisionist history and distorting our founding values and principles, even a significant quantity of pornography.”
– Keith Flaugh of the right-wing Florida Citizens’ Alliance, which helped pass a state law making it easier for far-right activists to challenge the use of textbooks and instructional materials they find objectionable
“Here’s a little economics lesson: supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow.”
– U.S. Energy Secretary (and former Texas governor) Rick Perry, suggesting that mining more coal will magically lead more customers to buy it
“Economic growth as well as greater food production and increased vegetation are just some of the benefits that can result from our changing climate.”
– U.S. Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, moving beyond science-denialism by suggesting that climate change might actually be good for us
“This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier.”
– President Trump, just three months into his term
“We should be hearing conservative, Christian legislation, and it’s not happening and it’s disappointing.”
– Texas state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, complaining that laws passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature weren’t conservative and Christian enough
