Ariana Baio
Aug 14, 2022
Video
A cast of characters have emerged from the far right-wing of American politics that repeatedly end up in the headlines.
From saying nonsensical things about the Constitution to overturning Roe v. Wade, the infamous politicos are able to tap into conservative America through their various platforms.
Some, like Marjorie Taylor-Greene or Clarence Thomas, have the power to make and change laws while others, like Ben Shapiro or Matt Walsh shout from the sidelines.
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Either way, these right-wingers get a lot of attention for their comments.
Here are 10 of the most prominent, ranked from ridiculous (Rudy) to dangerous (Clarence).
Rudy Giuliani
At one point in time, the former mayor of New York City was considered a highly respectable and prominent figure in US politics, in part thanks to his handling of New York post 9/11.
But Giuliani’s reputation has slowly dwindled over the years.
Soon after becoming an advisor to Donald Trump, Giuliani unraveled into the hair dye-dripping, Four Seasons Landscaping host he is known for today.
\u201cWhat is the color name on the box of Rudy Giuliani\u2018s hair dye?\u201d— Mystery Solvent (@Mystery Solvent) 1644966278
Just last year, the 78-year-old had his law license revoked in New York and DC after making false claims about the 2020 election.
Lauren Boebert
Despite being a member of the House of Representatives, Boebert’s consistent exaggerations have branded her unreliable and nonsensical by critics.
Among her list of exaggerations, Boebert has claimed people would eat dogs if their guns are taken away, misinterpreting the Constitution, and has said gun-free zones are more dangerous.
As a fiercely pro-gun advocate, Boebert will say and do almost anything to make her stance on firearms known.
\u201c\u201cI\u2019m tired of this separation of church and state junk.\u201d\n\nLauren Boebert went full theocracy, and proclaimed, \u201cThe church is supposed to direct the government\u201d per the founding fathers.\u201d— PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@PatriotTakes \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1656359230
Matt Walsh
It’s easy to get Walsh’s hot takes on Twitter confused for satire.
\u201cIn true lib fashion, Serena Williams plays the victim card and bizarrely says it's "not fair" that women have to do the "physical labor" of having babies\u201d— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1660144718
But the right-wing political commentator is being entirely serious when he says children are better off in an orphanage than with a gay couple or that transgender people are wrong for being transgender.
As a columnist for The Daily Wire, Walsh appeals to the far-right with his very conservative opinions.
By far, Walsh's favorite stance to take is the anti-transgender one. He's made a documentary called What is a Woman and wrote a children's book Johnny the Walrus, both promoting an anti-transgender agenda.
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Taylor Greene joined the House of Representatives in 2021 and has had quite the cultural impact with her far-right approach to politics.
As one of the more conservative congresspeople, Taylor-Greene has found herself in the headlines of many publications for the outlandish things she’s said.
She blamed Ukraine for being invaded by Russia, called for the FBI to be defunded, and called Kwanza a 'fake religion' among other things.
But famously, the Georgia Rep has stumbled on some words leading to viral moments. Like comparing the Capitol police to Hitler’s “Gazpacho”.
\u201c@RepMTG Call out the Gazpacho Police!\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660236262
Ben Shapiro
As host of his own show and contributor to various conservative news outlets, Shapiro has had an enormous impact on young conservatives in the US.
As a traditional conservative, Shapiro opposes same-sex marriage, believes being transgender is a mental illness, and is pro-life- going as far to say he would not kill baby Hitler.
Often the 38-year-old takes the position of ‘trolling’ online by leaving negative comments on popular cultural events.
But his efforts to get in the young people’s club has hurt him at times with people showing up to his events to insult him.
Steve Bannon
Who wears three shirts at all times? This guy.
Bannon served as Chief Strategist under Trump’s administration for the first several months of the former president’s term. During which, he was well-known for having a great influence on Trump.
But like most men out of a job, Bannon hosts his own podcast where he called Ukraine a ‘European problem’ and defended Alex Jones.
\u201cSteve Bannon wore three shirts to the first day of his criminal trial: A black crew neck, a purple button down, and a dark gray button down.\u201d— Greg Walters (@Greg Walters) 1658183779
When he’s not sharing some of his conservative ideas, Bannon is also being held in contempt for avoiding subpoenas related to the January 6th insurrection.
Ted Cruz
Serving as a Senator for Texas since 2013, Cruz has found himself in the middle of several GOP controversies including proliferating the 2020 election was stolen and fleeing Texas for Mexico during a winter storm.
Like Shapiro, Cruz has found himself in the middle of drama online too for trying to insert his conservative opinion into pop culture topics.
Picking a fight with Elmo for advocating for vaccines and questioning Pete Davidson’s hotness, are just some of the topics Cruz has inserted himself into.
Tucker Carlson
Considered one of the most influential figures in conservative news, Carlson brings in upwards of 3 million viewers per night on his Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight.
To his large audience, Carlson has played devil’s advocate for Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Ukraine war and pushed the conspiracy theory of ‘the great replacement’ - a lot.
Perhaps most comically thought is when Carlson claimed mass shootings were caused by women lecturing men on their privilege.
With a massive viewership and dangerous rhetoric, Carlson is able to influence an entire group of people to vote for or against others with any exaggerated claim
Mitch McConnell
At 80-years-old, McConnell has been in the Senate since 1985.
McConnell’s favorite game to play seeming is ‘how can I block this?’ as he rarely agrees with Democrats on pieces of law and Supreme Court nominees.
But make no mistake, when it comes times for Republicans to pass or nominate someone, he will ask for full support.
The internet’s favorite game to play is ‘what animal does Mitch McConnell look like?’ He’s been compared to a dog, a turtle, and more.
There was even a Change.org petition to "Demand Mitch McConnell to Provide Proof he is not a Turtle".
\u201cThank to John Stewart for calling out \u201cthe turtle\u201d @LeaderMcConnell and his buddies for voting to block PACT. Glad this passed, our heroes deserve better than what the @GOP thinks of them. #GOPCorruptionOverCountry\u201d— Eric Ervine (@Eric Ervine) 1659912736
Clarence Thomas
Holding one of the most powerful positions in the US, Thomas serves as a Supreme Court Justice.
Thomas was appointed to the court in 1991 by George H. W. Bush as a conservative justice and he has upheld deeply conservative values since his appointment.
This past year he helped overturn Roe v. Wade, going as far as to suggest other precedents like Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), Lawrence v. Texas (2003), and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) should be reconsidered.
Since Justices have a lifelong position, Thomas holds an immense amount of power which is why he is arguable the most impactful prominent right-winger.
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