Malinowski to Kean Jr. – If You Don’t Renounce It, You Believe It

(Basking Ridge, NJ) Today, Congressman Malinowski is calling on Tom Kean Jr. to renounce his endorsement from Jan. 6 insurrectionist and White Replacement Theory proponent Rep. Elise Stefanik, and pledge that he would not support her for any position of leadership in the House of Representatives.

“Americans are tired of extremism, of violence, and of politicians who exploit hatred and fear to get elected. Yet instead of running as a moderate, Tom Kean Jr. has built his campaign on support from extreme MAGA Republicans like Elise Stefanik, who has said that immigration reform is a plot to ‘overthrow our current electorate,’ echoing the racist alt right belief that white Americans are being replaced by people of color, immigrants, and Jewish people. Even after a white supremacist radicalized by white replacement theory gunned down 10 people in Buffalo last week, Stefanik refused to denounce it.

Elise Stefanik is on the wrong side of history, and Tom Kean Jr.’s silence suggests that he is ready to follow her into darkness. Unless he is prepared to say otherwise, his election would virtually assure that Stefanik and others like her will occupy positions of real power in Congress. That’s not going to fly with the overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans who want moderation in Washington, not more leaders who tell us to hate our neighbors.

Tom Kean Jr.’s consistent weakness in the face of extremism disqualifies him from any position of public trust. If he can’t stand up for what’s right when it might cost him a vote or campaign contribution, he’s not going to stand up for you.”