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In a series of viral tweets Thursday evening, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) blasted white nationalist Richard Spencer, writing that anyone who embraces "alt-right" ideology doesn’t “get America.”
Sasse tweeted an article about a statement Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) made earlier this week alleging that Russian internet trolls — in an effort to further polarize Americans — helped fuel the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s comments about NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
Lankford, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that Russian trolls were posting comments on both sides of the debate.
Sasse backed Lankford’s comments, writing, “No one loves American-vs-American fighting more than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. His intel agencies stoke both sides of every divide.”
No one loves American-vs-American fighting more than Putin. His intel agencies stoke both sides of every divide.https://t.co/H6BwjHzokH
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) September 28, 2017
Spencer replied to Sasse’s tweet, calling him a “goober” conservative.
In the minds of goober conservatives, the Russians are to blame for racial divisions. https://t.co/CzpGfL6u4M— Richard 🦁 Spencer (@Richard 🦁 Spencer) 1506601645.0
The tweetstorm
Sasse blasted Spencer, writing that “racists like you are to blame” for America’s divide, adding that “Putin's agencies also love using you as their divisive tool.”
1/ Oh let goobers & nongoobers agree on this: Racists like you are to blame. But Putin's agencies also love using y… https://t.co/xUITKN9H2I— Ben Sasse (@Ben Sasse) 1506633298.0
He then hit Spencer as a “brown-shirt-pajama-boy Nazi.”
2/ Don’t get me wrong: we’ll always have brown-shirt-pajama-boy Nazis like you & your lonely pals stoking division.… https://t.co/AZf7SGncOD— Ben Sasse (@Ben Sasse) 1506633394.0
In subsequent tweets, Sasse wrote:
You don’t get America. You said: "You do not have some human right, some abstract thing given to you by God or something like that." Actually, that's exactly what America declares we do have: People are the image-bearers of God, created with dignity and inalienable rights. Sadly, you don't understand human dignity. A person's skin, ancestry, and bank balance have nothing to do with their intrinsic value. This declaration of universal dignity is what America is about. Madison called our Constitution "the greatest reflection on human nature."You talk about culture but don't know squat about western heritage — which sees people not as tribes but as individuals of limitless worth. The celebration of universal dignity IS our culture, and it rejects your "white culture" crybaby politics. It rejects all identity politics. Sometime after moving back into your parents' basement, you knock-off Nazis fell in love with reheated 20th century will-to-power garbage. Your "ideas" aren't just hateful, un-American poison — they're also just so dang boring. The future doesn't belong to your stupid memes.
Sasse concluded by telling Spencer, “Get a real job, Clown.”
11/11 Get a real job, Clown. Find an actual neighbor to serve. You'll be happier. Have a nice day. https://t.co/ToREd7VwDM— Ben Sasse (@Ben Sasse) 1506634896.0
Reaction
Twitter users applauded Sasse's comments:
Wherein a piece of garbage is thrown into a receptacle with grace and artistry https://t.co/L09bBy8gHh— Jake Tapper (@Jake Tapper) 1506638059.0
Y'all have been warned... Don't mess with @BenSasse! 👀 https://t.co/TwD4qtjJUj— Sen. James Lankford (@Sen. James Lankford) 1506642345.0
Awesome https://t.co/R6WUBTVS5y— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1506637834.0
⚡️ “@BenSasse Schools Pajama-Boy-Nazi Richard Spencer” by @jameswegmann https://t.co/Y74qABR4NX— Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair 🦥 (@Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair 🦥) 1506637226.0
Just learned a story I wrote prompted a Twitter war between Sen. Ben Sasse and the alt-right's Richard Spencer so I'm gonna call it a day— Dustin Volz (@Dustin Volz) 1506693510.0
(H/T: ABC News)
