Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart joined PBS NewsHour host Judy Woodruff on Friday to launch all sorts of strawman attacks against the “hideous” and “horrendous” agenda coming from Republican governors and state legislators across the country.
Woodruff asked Capehart about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and “what they call the Don't Say Gay Act, the Stop Woke Act -- having to do with talking about race in school -- 15-week abortion bill. It's -- it’s a conservative template, and I guess the question is, is this look like the Republican playbook for the future, nationally?”
Who’s “they?” Republicans aren’t calling it the “Don’t Say Gay Act.” But Woodruff’s incorrect framing was nothing compared to Capehart’s. After declaring that it will be the national playbook for Republicans, Capehart ranted: “Republican governors and legislators are showing what conservative leadership looks like and, quite honestly, it looks hideous. It is horrendous. The Don't Say Gay bill is going to hurt LGBTQ kids and their families.”
Capehart was just getting started with mispresenting the facts of the bills in question: “The Stop Woke Act, all to protect from discomfort and anguish, white kids from learning about the true history of our country, when no one worries about the black kids in those -- in those -- classrooms who are learning a false or woefully inadequate history of this country.”
Turning his ire to Texas, Capehart suggested children are mature enough to select their own gender, “what makes what's happening in Florida look like child's play is what they're doing in…Texas, where the governor got gender-affirming care considered child abuse and is now investigating parents who are trying to provide gender-affirming care for their trans kids.”
Even worse than that is “in Idaho, Judy, they're going one extra step and making, now following the Texas anti-abortion template, making it a felony for parents to provide -- try to find gender confirming care for their trans children outside of Idaho.”
Finally, Capehart turned his attention to Missouri: “Again, using the Texas template to say that you—you-- can't get an abortion after a certain amount of time, but then making it a felony for someone to try to get those services that it can't get in Missouri, making it a felony if they go outside, out of state to do so.”
Capehart concluded by declaring that Republicans “talk a lot about freedom and choice and things like that for -- for-- you know, their constituents, but, quite honestly, if their constituents aren't white, male, cisgender, heterosexual, it seems like they have no room for anyone like that in their states.”
Capehart’s lengthy diatribe took time away from fellow panelist, freelance writer Gary Abernathy, who was more moderate. He concluded the segment by accusing Republicans of passing “political” bills that are addressing problems that probably don’t exist, but warned critics against overreaching by being outraged that grades third and under won’t be able to talk about sexual orientation and gender politics.
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Here is a transcript for the March 11 show:
PBS NewsHour
3/11/2021
7:40 PM ET
JUDY WOODRUFF: Only a little bit of time left, but I do want to ask you both about what's been going on in Florida, Jonathan, and that is Governor Ron DeSantis has been pushing for this, Republican-controlled legislature has now given him a raft of very, of conservative measures from what they call the Don't Say Gay Act, the Stop Woke Act -- having to do with talking about race in school -- 15-week abortion bill. It's—it’s a conservative template, and I guess the question is, is this look like the Republican playbook for the future, nationally?
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, yes, because it’s playing out nationally as we speak, Judy. When Governor Reynolds of Iowa gave the response to president Biden's State of the Union address, she said, among others things, Republican governors and legislators are showing what conservative leadership looks like and, quite honestly, it looks hideous. It is horrendous. The Don't Say Gay bill is going to hurt LGBTQ kids and their families.
The Stop Woke Act, all to protect from discomfort and anguish, white kids from learning about the true history of our country, when no one worries about the black kids in those—in those--- classrooms who are learning a false or woefully inadequate history of this country, and what makes what's happening in Florida look like child's play is what they're doing in—what they’re doing—I’m here in Austin, what they did in Texas, where the governor got gender-affirming care considered child abuse and is now investigating parents who are trying to provide gender-affirming care for their trans kids.
And in Idaho, Judy, they're going one extra step and making, now following the Texas anti-abortion template, making it a felony for parents to provide -- try to find gender confirming care for their trans children outside of Idaho.
And in Missouri, this is not LGBTQ, but this is about—about-- abortion. Again, using the Texas template to say that you—you-- can't get an abortion after a certain amount of time, but then making it a felony for someone to try to get those services that it can't get in Missouri, making it a felony if they go outside, out of state to do so. This is the template that Governor DeSantis is following, that Republican governors are following, and it's one that really they talk a lot about freedom and choice and things like that for—for--, you know, their constituents, but, quite honestly, if their constituents aren't white, male, cisgender, heterosexual, it seems like they have no room for anyone like that in their states.
