Outgoing GOP Lawmaker Calls MAGA Base "Anti-American"

Virginia GOP congressman Denver Riggleman lost his seat in what was basically a rigged district "convention" after he committed the unpardonable sin - at least in GOP Christofascist circles - of officiating at a same sex wedding for two gay Republicans (yes, the two are an oxymoron).  In his place the GOP ran a far right loon with ties to Jerry Falwell Jr.'s Liberty University who won the heavily gerrymandered district. Riggleman is not going quietly and has unleashed on both Trump and the ever more toxic GOP base which he describes as "anti-American" as well as the spineless, complicit congressional Republicans.  Here are highlights from Newsweek:

Outgoing Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman of Virginia on Saturday unleashed a barrage of criticism against Donald Trump, his allies and "anti-American" supporters, as the president continues to cast doubt on his election loss.

Riggleman is among the few Republicans who have acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden's victory over Trump. Most media outlets called the election for the Democrat, who has secured 306 Electoral College votes, over two weeks ago, but Trump has refused to concede.

In an interview with Forbes, Riggleman condemned his fellow Republicans for remaining quiet amid Trump's attempts to cast doubt on the election process by claiming a "rigged" and "stolen" election. It's "completely unethical," he said, explaining that some of his colleagues believe that breaking with Trump would "cost them their careers."

“The career is more important than the facts, it's that simple," Riggleman added. "I'm so damn sick of it. I'm sick of it.”

Riggleman admitted that there were "true believers" of Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud, but he went on to suggest that they were not smart people. "[It] really speaks to where your intelligence level is... to believe in that type of operation," he said.

The lawmaker also criticized Trump for embracing "anti-Semitic" and "anti-American" supporters and added that it was "irresponsible" for the president to retweet QAnon conspiracies.

Riggleman's remarks came hours after he shot back at a tweet that accused him of being "responsible" for the "corrupt election" that led to Trump's loss. The tweet named Riggleman and a number of other Republicans who have acknowledged Biden's win or called for a peaceful transition of power to the incoming Biden administration.

"I'm proud to be on this list with my honorable colleagues—it's one of many circulating," he responded. "We have been tagged and called 'traitors' based on our use of data analytics, facts and common sense. Time for a GOP that represents the core of America, not the manic fringes."