There’s panic rumbling through MAGA land, and here’s how you can tell:
This weekend, sourpuss Sarah Sanders used her platform as governor to dispatch two pieces of political propaganda with very little to do with Arkansas and a whole lot to do with helping her old boss, Donald Trump, in his bid to retake the White House.
First, there’s Sanders’ small-minded attack on the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris, a spectacle that included such delights as a beheaded Marie Antoinette cosplay; LeBron James valiantly braving a rainstorm on the Seine with Old Glory in his fist; and some saucy behavior by a blue-skinned Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, and a band of drag queens.
The whole world seemed to be having a blast with the show, so of course right-wing politicians and religious scolds swooped in to dampen the fun. An avant-garde bit proved convenient to Church Lady types always on the prowl for something at which to take offense. Get a load of this fundraising message, posted to Sanders’ 2026 gubernatorial campaign page while the rest of us were grooving with Snoop and watching gymnastics floor routines:
Did you see the Olympic opening ceremony this weekend? Were you as shocked as I was? I cannot believe they incorporated a drag show mocking Christians and the Last Supper!
What should have been a unifying night for people across the globe turned into exploiting a moment to push a radical agenda to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world (including children).
It was disgusting. And it shows just how far some will go to indoctrinate as many people as possible with their far-left beliefs – even if it means mocking billions of Christians.
We can’t stop fighting for our values. It doesn’t matter how many platforms they try to take advantage of, I will be right there with you fighting back.
The French are arty, OK? The tableau may or may not have been a nod to Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” one of the most widely referenced and remixed paintings in the world. But it seemed clear enough that this assembly of vogueing thespians was not meant to mock Jesus, as Sanders and some others have apparently surmised. It’s more homage than “parody,” as some thin-skinned conservatives are calling it. Christian nationalists tend to assume everything everywhere is all about them and also an affront somehow.
Sanders is smart and well-traveled. She loves a good trip to Europe! She knows very well that the fruity Smurf god served up on a giant silver tray in Paris isn’t the vanguard of a “radical agenda.”
Sanders also knows, however, that in the wake of JD Vance’s unlikable and low-energy rollout as Trump’s running mate, the Republican base needs something to keep them riled. It’s go time for Trump’s foot soldiers, tasked with whipping up enough grievance and fear to overtake the energy and joy jolting the political left into action ever since VP Kamala Harris fell out of the coconut tree and on to the top of the ticket.
And so, in addition to stirring up silly tales of blasphemous Frenchmen, Sanders seems to be taking advantage of an Arkansas traffic stop gone horribly awry as an opportunity to attack Harris. And unlike the fit she’s throwing over the Olympics, this one uses state-funded systems and staff to produce and distribute xenophobic political propaganda.
Longtime news watchers were taken aback Sunday by an Arkansas State Police press release that was roughly 20% news, 80% grievance politics. Subject line: OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING ON I-49 IN ROGERS LEAVES GUATEMALAN MAN INJURED.
The release includes quotes from Sanders and Col. Mike Hagar, director of the state police, pushing the false Republican talking point that immigrants who enter the country illegally are more likely to commit crimes. Data shows this simply is not true. Of course, Sanders has never let the truth get in the way of a politically expedient lie.
Sunday’s state police press release was a real piece of work, combining political attacks against Trump’s high-flying political opponent, fearmongering about immigrants and some unusual hype for a bystander who seemingly dived into a roadside melee. There’s a jab at “the media,” too. Here is the press release/propaganda piece in full:
ROGERS, Ark. – A Guatemalan man was injured after resisting arrest and assaulting a Trooper during a traffic stop on Interstate 49 Saturday, July 27, 2024.
At approximately 7:43 p.m., a Trooper stopped a suspect on I-49 southbound after the suspect was observed traveling at a high rate of speed in heavy traffic near the 80-mile marker. The driver, Angel Zapet-Alvarado, 26, refused to exit the vehicle and resisted the Trooper’s efforts to remove him. The Trooper deployed her taser when he refused to comply. Zapet-Alvarado wrestled the Trooper’s taser from her hands and threw it into interstate traffic.
A 31-year-old female motorist who witnessed the altercation stopped her vehicle and tried to assist the Trooper. The Trooper used her service weapon to fire one round at Zapet-Alvarado, wounding him in the right temple.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been briefed on the incident.
“These two women who put their lives on the line to make sure their communities are safe, are heroes and thanks to their quick, brave action, a criminal illegal immigrant is in custody and off the streets. Even though they deny it and the media covers it up, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have created the worst border crisis in history and they must be held responsible,” Gov. Sanders said.
Col. Mike Hagar said, “I pray every day for the safety of our Troopers as they sacrifice their own safety for the sake of our innocent civilians. I thank God today that He kept our Trooper alive and that He placed an unbelievably brave civilian by her side during her time of need.”
“I have the same fear and frustration any time someone assaults one of our Troopers, but it’s even more disturbing that this suspect is an undocumented, illegal immigrant from Guatemala,” Col. Hagar said. “That shows another level of lawlessness that will not be tolerated in our state.”
Zapet-Alvarado was transported to Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, where he was treated and released to law enforcement. He was transported to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center and charged with Second-Degree Battery and placed on hold for Homeland Security Investigation (HSI). Additional charges are pending.
The Trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries she sustained when Zapet-Alvarado assaulted her.
ASP’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the incident.
An investigative case file will be presented to the prosecuting attorney, who will determine whether the use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas law.
There are certainly questions about the case of Angel Zapet-Alvarado. We need more facts about the traffic stop and the outcome of any investigations. But there’s no need to adorn the next state police report with out-of-place attacks on the current presidential administration. Not unless that was the goal all along.