Brian Kemp vowed to welcome Afghan refugees in Georgia — and MAGA Republicans are losing it
With the Taliban now in control in Afghanistan, conservative Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is saying that Afghan refugees are welcome in the Peach State — and MAGA Republicans, journalist Samantha Lock reports in Newsweek, are slamming him for it.
Kemp, in an official statement on August 17, said, "Joe Biden's failure to protect American citizens and our allies in Afghanistan is a stain on our nation. His administration's lack of preparation and disastrous evacuation is now putting countless lives in serious danger from the Taliban. It is vitally important to keep those who partnered with American armed forces over the last 20 years safe from harm."
Not a scene of Hollywood, it\u2019s Just #Kabul air port, people want to run away, after the Capture of Kabul by the #Talibans \n#Afghanistan \nBy: @Mukhtarwafayeepic.twitter.com/ZLYieJm9mX— A\u015bvaka - \u0622\u0633\u0648\u0627\u06a9\u0627 News Agency (@A\u015bvaka - \u0622\u0633\u0648\u0627\u06a9\u0627 News Agency) 1629106668
Biden was essentially following the Donald Trump/Mike Pompeo plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan — although he did so more slowly than what Trump and Pompeo had in mind. Trump, in fact, said, in April, that Biden was taking too long to remove U.S. forces. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming has slammed the Trump/Pompeo withdrawal deal with the Taliban as terrible and faults Biden for essentially going along with it.
Trump criticized Biden's date for Afghanistan withdrawal but called it a "wonderful and positive thing to do."\n\nLindsey Graham: "I could not disagree more with former President Trump regarding his support for President Biden\u2019s withdrawal of all forces from Afghanistan..."pic.twitter.com/O1BBc5OeZV— Andrew Solender (@Andrew Solender) 1618800424
Kemp's concern for Afghan refugees, however, isn't going over well with MAGA Republicans. On August 17, a fellow Georgia Republican, the far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, tweeted:
GA shouldn\u2019t welcome Afghan refugees while 1,000\u2019s of Americans are stranded.\nVet them outside the US, just like Remain in Mexico.\nWill this bring chain migration too?\nHow much will it cost GA taxpayers in Gov assistance?\nThe future of GA shouldn\u2019t be like MN that voted for Omar.https://twitter.com/ajc/status/1427700507049668616\u00a0\u2026— Marjorie Taylor Greene \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Marjorie Taylor Greene \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1629258541
The "Omar" that Greene was referring to was progressive Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Omar is a Muslim and a Somali immigrant.
Another far-right MAGA Republican who is bashing Kemp is activist Stacy Rush, who tweeted:
@GovKemp truly the worst governor. \nI\u2019m all for assisting VETTED refugees. But we all know they won\u2019t be. \nCan\u2019t wait to vote for ANYONE other than Brian Kemp for GA govhttps://twitter.com/jackposobiec/status/1427691323944022027\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8Anonymous Sources Stacy\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8Anonymous Sources Stacy\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1629224614
Ted Ryun, a former George W. Bush speechwriter, wants to see Kemp voted out of office via a Republican gubernatorial primary:
Hopefully Kemp gets crushed in the primary.https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1427691323944022027\u00a0\u2026— Ned Ryun (@Ned Ryun) 1629223832
But others were glad to hear Kemp say that he welcomes Afghan refugees in Georgia. Paedia Mixon, chief executive for New American Pathways, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "It's welcome news. It's always better to work in partnership and collaboration with the state government, and we're thrilled that Gov. Kemp is supportive of welcoming Afghan refugees."
