Fox News star Tucker Carlson recently blasted the Washington D.C.-based Club for Growth in a primetime segment.
Club for Growth has previously been accused of trying to get Alabama Republicans to promise to vote against their constituents’ interests in exchange for money from the organization.
“So, if you’ve ever wondered why there’s a massive between Republicans and a lot of the legislators that represent them, you can ask the people who raise the money for congressional and Senate races on the Republican side,” Carlson said. “The Club for Growth is one of the groups that raises the most money and has a major effect on elections. They’re involved in a ton of Senate races.”
One such race is in Alabama, where Club for Growth has endorsed six-term Congressman Mo Brooks, R-Alabama. Brooks began the race bragging that he had a 50-point lead in the polls, but recent polls have shown a neck-and-neck race and even Brooks already down to first-time candidate Katie Britt. Brooks on the radio has now admitted the race is tight, after at first claiming the recent polls were fabricated.
Carlson said that one of Club for Growth’s other Senate races, besides Brooks, centers on being opposed to Republican candidate J.D. Vance in Ohio. Club for Growth is running ads in Ohio blasting Vance for being opposed to then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 election cycle. Carlson pointed out the hypocrisy of Club for Growth’s criticism of Vance on this issue; Club for Growth is well-known nationally as the original Never Trump group, spending millions of dollars on negative ads to try and defeat Trump in that election cycle.
Club for Growth’s hypocrisy on this issue also extends uniquely into the Alabama Senate race, as Brooks was also an original Never Trumper in 2016. Brooks even refused to publicly commit to vote for Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the general election.
“Donald Trump is a notorious flip-flopper. … I will not publicly support, or endorse with my reputation, someone who I know to have such huge character flaws and who is dishonest,” said Brooks in one of many statements attacking Trump.
Moreover, Brooks’ opposition to Trump extended past the 2016 general election into President Trump’s term in office.
Brooks rebuked Trump on immigration and health care specifically in 2017. He was one of a small group of House Republicans that blocked Trump’s plan to repeal and replace Obamacare from moving forward before a different plan was rejected by the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
While Brooks did not personally donate to Trump’s campaign in 2016 or 2020, he did donate personally to Mitt Romney multiple times during the 2008 and 2012 cycles.
Looking back to the ongoing Alabama Senate race, Club for Growth has set its targets on defeating Britt.
Carlson noted that Club for Growth’s real motivation is that they “don’t like populist politics.”
“They’re much happier with the Chamber of Commerce version of politics,” Carlson added of Brooks’ backers. “And they’re using Trump as a cover to destroy anyone who violates the unspoken pact that Republican politicians will do the bidding of big business, no matter what.”
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, echoed Carlson’s comments. Kirk outlined that Club for Growth opposes candidates who are tough on China.
Vance in Ohio has even branded the organization as the “Club for Chinese Growth.” The group is well known for supporting the offshoring of American jobs to low-wage countries across the globe and was opposed to Trump’s America First trade and immigration agendas.
“The Club For Growth. More like The Club For Growing The Swamp,” said one conservative commentator in response to Carlson’s segment.
The vast majority of Brooks’ funds have come from outside Alabama in his Senate bid. Club for Growth has committed to spending whatever amount it takes for Brooks to win.
