Texas GOP Chair Who Branded Party With QAnon-esque Slogan Quits Abruptly

Allen West speaks to he media after meetings at Trump Tower in New York City on December 5, 2016. (Photo by DOMINICK REUTER / AFP) (Photo by DOMINICK REUTER/AFP via Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Allen West, the chair of the Texas Republican party who branded the party with a QAnon-sounding slogan, announced his resignation suddenly on Friday.

“Lt. Col. Allen West will take this opportunity to prayerfully reflect on a new chapter in his already distinguished career,” read a release from the party. “We know that wherever he goes next, he will continue to be a bulwark against progressive socialism and a champion for the principles of Texas and our American Republic.”

He will remain at the helm of the party until July 11th when a new chair will be chosen, the release added.

West took over the chairmanship about a year ago, after making his political name in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tea Party politics and inflammatory comments including calling former President Barack Obama a “low-level Socialist agitator” and accusing vast swaths of the Democratic party of being communists.

He approached the chairmanship in a similar way, giving the party a new motto using QAnon lingo — “we are the storm” — though he denied the connection. In QAnon verbiage, the storm is a last judgment-like event when Democrats and other celebrities will be exposed and punished for their supposed crimes as former President Donald Trump comes raring back into power.

West also winked at the “Texit” movement popular among his party’s hard right after President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, saying after the Supreme Court shot down an attempt to overturn the election results that “perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.”

Most recently, West attended and spoke at the “For God & Country Patriots Roundup” in Dallas over the weekend, a conference star-studded with QAnon celebrities and other prominent MAGA-verse characters. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn made the most headlines from the event, after telling an audience member that a Myanmar-like coup “should happen” in the United States.

West told Newsmax that he didn’t endorse the comment, quickly pivoting to blame “the progressive, socialist left” for twisting Flynn’s words and ignoring the real coup: Democratic lawmakers in Texas executing a strategic walkout to kill a restrictive voting law package last weekend.

Latest News
271
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. “We used to be the storm.”

  2. What’s anybody’s guess here? Caught on tape screwing a 10 yo boy? Underage rape?

    You know it is something rotten - that’s how they roll. And to resign a key spot it has to be REALLY rotten.

  3. “Lt. Col. Allen West will take this opportunity to prayerfully reflect on a new chapter in his already distinguished career,”

    It’s always a good idea to reflect on which attorney will be defending you.

  4. “Lt. Col. Allen West will take this opportunity to prayerfully reflect on a new chapter in his already distinguished career,”

    Any chance an orange jump suit is in the offing?

  5. Does he have any family that he needs to spend time with?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

265 more replies

Participants

Avatar for mondfledermaus Avatar for eldonlazar Avatar for tigersharktoo Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for rollinnolan Avatar for randyabraham Avatar for progress Avatar for psudawnc Avatar for christianhankel Avatar for donnyyoung Avatar for gr Avatar for moreyampersand Avatar for mrf Avatar for pshah Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for seamus42 Avatar for evave2 Avatar for timorwig Avatar for jackofalltirades Avatar for txlawyer Avatar for dogselfie Avatar for geographyjones

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: