DES MOINES, Iowa – Fox News’ Tucker Carlson aired a clip on Wednesday from the Markers for Democracy Virtual Conversation held on September 28 that included U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, as a participant.
In the clip (watch above), Axne calls Iowans opposed to vaccines “crazies” and disparages the Christian Right.
She addresses less than 20 school districts (13 by our count as of last week) that have re-implemented mask mandates after a federal judge halted the enforcement of the state’s mask mandate ban.
“So now all the schools are back wanting to put mask mandates in and all the anti-vaxxer crazies are out there, with their, you know, it’s a hot mess,” Axne claimed.
“I’ll be honest with you, the Christian Right is, you know, everything under the guise while they hold the cross, you know, for God or whatever. And they use it like a weapon. And it’s painful to watch. Because they’ve weaponized religion, they have weaponized politics,” she added.
In May, the congresswoman from West Des Moines touted being named the most bipartisan member of Congress by Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy because of her legislative work.
“In my first term, I strove to find commonsense legislative solutions that would support Iowa’s families, businesses, and communities – and that meant working across the aisle both in Iowa and with my colleagues from across the country on bills to tackle the range of issues facing my constituents. Whether it’s fighting for lower health care costs, more support for our entrepreneurs and students, or getting investments back to Iowa’s rural communities, I’m proud to have earned this recognition for my work in my first term – and look forward to continuing these efforts in the months and years to come,” she said.
Republican Party of Iowa spokesman Kollin Crompton said Axne’s remarks insult Iowans of faith.
“This is how today’s Iowa Democrat Party feels behind closed doors. Axne’s comments are a slap in the face to every person of faith in Iowa. It’s time that Iowans are introduced to the real Cindy Axne – the one who hates them deep down,” he said in a released statement.
Nicole Hasso, a candidate who is running for the Republican nomination in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, said she was “shocked and saddened” by Axne’s “hate-filled, anti-Christian rant.”
She said the comments reveal the Congresswoman to be a “rabid Christianophobe.”
“Iowans reject this kind of prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination against any religion. Axne’s tirade against Christians is not acceptable and she owes all Christians and the state of Iowa an apology. I call on the Iowa Democratic Party to condemn Cindy Axne’s bigotry. It is reprehensible that a sitting member of Congress not only holds these vile beliefs but feels confident and comfortable sharing them publicly. It also shows the disdain and contempt Axne harbors for Christian Iowans she represents. As in the beloved and cherished him, I am confident that Iowa Christians ‘…will cling to the old rugged Cross…’ and hold onto it with pride,” Hasso said in a released statement.
State Senator Zach Nunn, R-Bondurant, who is also running for the Republican nomination in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, called for Axne to apologize.
“Cindy Axne has shown she has absolutely no regard for the thousands of Christians that live in her district. To insinuate that as Christians we politicize and weaponize our religion is a disgusting mindset, and she needs to apologize to the thousands of Christian Iowans for these disrespectful comments. Unlike Axne, I’ve been traveling to Iowa communities and hearing directly about the issues that they care about: a stronger economy, less taxes and government, and the right to personal choice. That includes vaccine mandates. Whether or not Iowans choose to get vaccinated has nothing to do with the fact if they are Christian or not, it’s a matter of personal choice that Iowans don’t want the government making. As your next Congressman, I would never make harmful comments about religion like Axne or force Iowans to do something they don’t want to do,” he said.
The Iowa Torch has reached out to Axne’s office for comment and will update should they respond.
