Former minister rips into GOP for 'rejecting America’s core principles' under 'mantle of patriotism'

Former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich on Monday blasted Republicans for actively pursuing policies that make citizens' lives worse.

"Republicans claim they love America," Reich began, which segued into clips of various GOP politicians claiming just that. "But they sure don't seem to like the American people. They consistently oppose reforms that a majority of Americans believe would make their lives better, like raising the minimum wage, paid family leave and student debt relief, and these supposedly America-loving Republicans also seem to hate American cities, which is where 80 percent of Americans live."

Reich rolled footage of Republicans referring to metropolises as "crime-infested rat holes," "disgusting," "a disaster," and confessing that they "can't comprehend how people live there."

Those leaders "must love rural America, right?" Reich retorted.

"Uh, not so much," the economics professor continued. "Republicans have historically tried to block Medicaid expansion and cut its funding, which rural Americans have especially benefited from. They've sided with big Ag over independent farmers and they're continually trying to cut food stamps, which rural Americans depend on even more than those in cities. So maybe it's the land itself they love, except that while in office, Donald Trump ruled back more than a hundred environmental regulations, making it easier to pollute America's air, water, and land. And he opened about two million acres of federally protected and culturally significant land to oil drilling. So what's left? I know — the brave men and women who defend this country."

After noting that Republicans have tried to gut programs that benefit veterans, Reich conceded that he was "grasping at straws." He opined that "Republicans are increasingly rejecting America's core principles" by "attacking freedom of speech with book bans, the attempted banning of books here in America. They're attacking freedom of assembly with laws restricting protests, and they're rejecting the separation of church and state."

Several statements by prominent Republicans were shown, such as: "We should be Christian Nationalist," "I'm tired of this separation of church and state junk," and "Put on the full armor of God. Let's pray together."

Reich then stressed that "Republicans are even shunning democracy itself, denying election results, passing laws that make it harder to vote and kicking out legitimately elected lawmakers they disagree with."

Concluding his video, Reich insisted that "it's time to stop letting Republicans claim the mantle of patriotism without actually being patriots. Patriotism means loving freedom. The freedom to make your own healthcare choices, the freedom to choose who and how you love, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to unionize. We are still here and we will never quit. Patriotism also means wanting Americans to be free from the fear of gun violence and free from crushing student debt. Above all patriotism involves strengthening our democracy. True patriots don't put loyalty to their political party above their love of America. True patriots don't support an attempted coup. Now is the time for the rest of us to reclaim patriotism and affirm its true meaning."