Conservatives and "Great Replacement" Theory, Explained

Written by Hudson Crozier

What is “The Great Replacement”?

The term "Great Replacement" is commonly associated with a supposed conspiracy by globalist elites to gradually make Caucasians a minority in Western society, subverting or "replacing" them. Stemming from the corners of white nationalist thought, such ideas stir hostility toward anything perceived as a threat to the dominance of the white race, including immigration.

In response to the Biden administration’s border crisis, several prominent conservatives suggest a different idea, a plot by Democrats to perpetuate their own political power by forcing in countless illegal invaders, numerically overwhelming and "replacing" the votes of rightful U.S. citizens. By calling this theory "The Great Replacement," conservatives, whether knowingly or not, have reframed what was initially a racist term.

However, the mainstream media, unwilling to examine the content of the new Great Replacement theory, foolishly and dishonestly smear the Right as sympathetic to white supremacists. Here are the most prevalent examples.

Tucker Carlson

After comments made by conservative television host Tucker Carlson on Fox News in April, a series of provocative headlines followed, such as:

Insider: ''Tucker Carlson embraces white-supremacist 'replacement' conspiracy theory, claiming Democrats are 'importing' immigrants to 'dilute' American voters.''

Media Matters: ''Tucker Carlson, the face of Fox News, just gave his full endorsement to the white nationalist conspiracy theory that has motivated mass shootings.''

Independent: ''White nationalist website calls Tucker Carlson’s 'replacement' rant 'one of the best things Fox News has ever aired.'''

CNN deemed the segment "racist" and "anti-immigration commentary,'' and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) urged Fox News to fire Carlson.

What did he say? In his own words, on-air:

"...the government shows preference to people who have shown absolute contempt for our customs, our laws, our system itself, and they’re being treated better than American citizens."

"...the Democratic Party is trying to replace the current electorate, the voters now casting ballots, with new people, more obedient voters from the third world."

"In a democracy, one person equals one vote. If you change the population, you dilute the political power of the people who live there. So every time they import a new voter, I become disenfranchised as a current voter."

"...everyone’s making a racial issue out of it, you know, the 'white replacement' theory. No, no, this is a voting rights question."

"...it really is much deeper than race. Race is a factor for some people, but underneath it all, it has to do with what kind of country you want to live in and how much political power you have."

The media misconstrued words like "replacement," "dilute," and "third world" as racially divisive despite Carlson’s clarification that race was not his concern. Many of the above sources included his rejection of race in their coverage, yet still accused him of racism.

Less than a month later, he was slammed again:

HuffPost: ''Tucker Carlson continues to promote white supremacist 'great replacement' conspiracy.''

The Daily Beast: ''Tucker pushes racist 'great replacement' theory yet again, ADL renews call for Fox to fire him.''

The Hill: ''Critics blast Tucker Carlson’s immigration remarks amid border surge.''

This time, adding onto his previous arguments, Carlson reacted to a 2015 video where Joe Biden seemed to say that the U.S. having "an unrelenting stream of immigration," which could make whites "an absolute minority," should be seen as "a source of our strength" as a country.

Carlson responded:

"'An unrelenting stream of immigration.' Why? Joe Biden said it: to change the racial mix of the country. That’s the reason. To reduce the political power of people whose ancestors lived here, and dramatically increase the proportion of Americans newly arrived from the third world. And then Biden went further and said that non-white DNA is the source of our strength. Imagine saying that. This is the language of eugenics. It’s horrifying. But there’s a reason Biden said it. In political terms, this policy is sometimes called the 'Great Replacement,' the replacement of legacy Americans, with more obedient people from faraway countries."

While he did, in this instance, concede to the idea that whites are in danger of being "replaced," he only mentioned race to condemn Biden’s focus on it. The following quote from later in the segment is conveniently left out in most mainstream coverage of the story, including the above sources:

"No one who talks like this should ever be the President of the United States. The President has a moral obligation to represent all Americans equally, not just those of a specific color."

He did not argue race as a reason to strengthen the border; he argued it should not be a motive for anything, including opening the border and showing unfair partiality to immigrant minorities. Addressing the backlash, he further clarified on "The Megyn Kelly Show":

"The 'Great Replacement' theory is, in fact, not a theory. It’s something that the Democrats brag about constantly, up to and including the president, and in one sentence, it’s this: rather than convince the current population that our policies are working and they should vote for us as a result, we can’t be bothered to do that. We’re instead going to change the composition of the population and bring in people who will vote for us. So there isn’t actually inherently a racial component to it, and it’s nothing to do with antisemitism."

Carlson does not single out whites as the only group targeted for replacement by those who will be more "obedient" to Democrats, he has in no way advocated apartheid as a solution, and his argument remains primarily political. Nevertheless, the media pushes the lie that Fox is allowing "a tenet of white supremacist groups" to be promoted on their network, associating his rhetoric with acts of terrorism such as the New Zealand Christchurch shooting or the El Paso shooting of 2019.

Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) has also come under fire by virtue of voicing agreement, tweeting, ''@TuckerCarlson is CORRECT about Replacement Theory as he explains what is happening to America. The ADL is a racist organization.''

Dan Patrick

In September, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, after appearing on Fox with host Laura Ingraham, received similar treatment for his take on the border crisis:

Daily Beast: ''Texas Lt. Gov spews racist 'great replacement' theory on Fox.''

Washington Post: ''[Patrick’s] vile rant shows 'great replacement' is becoming GOP dogma.''

A Houston Chronicle article stated, "Patrick's comments sound strikingly like 'Great Replacement' theory talking points - an old line of rhetoric used by white supremacist groups around the world to whip up fear using the specter of encroaching minority hordes."

Patrick’s own words:

"... 'invasion,' properly defined by most, [is an] unauthorized, uninvited, unwelcome incursion in your territory or property. This is not authorized by the state of Texas, it’s not welcomed by the state of Texas or any other Republican state I know, and they’re not invited."

"You’re talking about millions and millions and millions of new voters, and they will thank the Democrats and Biden for bringing them here. Who do you think they’re going to vote for?"

"We now will have illegals in this country denying citizens the right to run our government."

"So, it’s -- it’s government, it’s politics, it’s healthcare, it’s safety. Do you know how many thousands of people will die in America because of the drugs that are coming across the border, or the gang violence?"

His entire interview contained no mention of race, only legal and policy arguments.

Elise Stefanik

Recent political ads on Facebook by Representative Elise Stefanik (R-New York) made claims such as, "Their [Democrats'] plan to grant amnesty to 11 MILLION illegal immigrants will overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington."

MSNBC, plainly admitting that she "didn't explicitly reference race," listed her among Republicans who they say promote a "racist conspiracy theory." Outlets such as NPR and The Washington Post echoed the accusation, and the Times Union editorial board likened her statements to the chants of white supremacists at the 2017 Charlottesville rally, such as "Jews will not replace us!"

The media is bent on hearing what it wants to hear, polluting the public discourse on immigration with irresponsible and incendiary journalism.

They refuse to acknowledge the concern of decent Americans: that politicians might be scheming for power at the expense of their constituents.