Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Know-Nothings

| 12:01 pm EDT May 6, 2018
Dear Palmer Report readers, we all understand the difficult era we're heading into. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight. We're funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can donate here.

In 1844, the Native American Party, which became the American Party but was commonly referred to as the Know Nothing Movement, was formed. The Know Nothings received the nickname because when asked about his activities, the response was to be, “I know nothing.” The current administration would have been card carrying members of this movement.

For example, on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders pretty much told the White House press and the nation that she knows nothing, stating at least six times in response to questions about whether she was in the dark or lying: “I’ve given the best information I had at the time,” Sanders said, a line she repeated in general six times. “Some information I am aware of, and some I’m not.” 

CNN reported that Sanders is losing credibility with the American public. The rejoinder has been, “is losing?” When did she or anyone in this administration have credibility? This administration changes stories by the minute, by the person speaking, and by the topic. For example Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, spoke this week about the payments by Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels and reimbursements by Trump. Questions abound about what knowledge Trump had of such payments. The Hill reported that Trump knew about the payments months before his denial, yet the Trump response has been and continues to basically be, “I know nothing.” On Friday, Trump figuratively threw Giuliani under the boss, telling reporters:

“Everything said has been said incorrectly. When Rudy made the statements — Rudy is great — but Rudy had just started, and he wasn’t totally familiar with everything.”

It is more than just the trampling of honesty, transparency and integrity of the administration that justifies the comparison. The Know Nothings were anti-Catholic, xenophobic and anti-immigration- a bigoted group. The recent resignation (and then rejection/withdrawal of same) by the House Chaplain included talk about the evangelicals in the House wanting to have someone not Catholic in the role.

We are waiting for the Supreme Court of the United States to issue opinions in many cases, including Masterpiece Cakeshops Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (religious liberty of a business owner and ability to discriminate against the LGBTQ community) and Trump v. Hawaii (travel ban). The comparisons to the Know Nothings seems more appropriate than ever.