Just yesterday, Gillespie issued a statement saying that he was “encouraged that Senator Tom Cotton and others say they are going to find a legislative solution to DACA.” It was a stunning development — Sen. Cotton has proposed a 50 percent cut in legal immigration that would devastate Virginia’s economy and deny any path to citizenship for DREAMers. The plan is backed by the Trump White House — and strongly opposed by Democrats and Republicans.

Gillespie's embrace of Donald Trump’s immigration policies immediately came under fire. The New York Times’ Jonathan Martin tweeted that “That Gillespie would align self w Cotton - who wants less legal imm as price for DREAM - tells ya where party now is.” The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin noted that Gillespie wants, “Dreamers to go. Will get blown out in NO VA.”

The Gillespie campaign quickly (and clumsily) tried to walk back the statement — but were never able to explain why they decided to cite Sen. Cotton rather than other Republican leaders — including Speaker Paul Ryan — who have put forward more moderate legislative solutions to DACA.

The truth is Gillespie’s statement reflected a campaign that has grown comfortable using neo-Confederate, far right, divisive rhetoric and embracing extreme policy positions. In fact, just a few hours before praising Cotton, Gillespie seemed to equate DREAMers with violent criminals during an interview with WBAL radio.

As the Roanoke Times wrote today about Gillespie’s hiring of far right conspiracy theorist Jack Morgan, “it diminishes Gillespie to be associated with this kind of rhetoric. It’s also not rooted in reality.”

Roanoke Times: Editorial: Gillespie shouldn't indulge crazy talk

September 6, 2017

Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate for governor, made the news recently but not for the most flattering of reasons.

The news was that he had hired a campaign operative who has declared that the nation is on the verge of civil war.

Actually, what Jack Morgan of Wytheville said — after black-clad leftist “antifa” protesters disrupted a rally of white supremacists in Berkeley, California — was that “we are already in a civil war; it just hasn’t been called that yet.”

Perhaps Morgan, who was Donald Trump’s field director in the 9th Congressional District, has some special campaign talents other than incendiary rhetoric. Trump did, after all, win the 9th by historic margins.

But really now, what kind of people go around talking about how the nation is “already in a civil war”?

Somebody please give the man some Xanax. This kind of fevered imagination is not helpful to Morgan’s preferred candidate. On the contrary, it diminishes Gillespie to be associated with this kind of rhetoric. It’s also not rooted in reality.

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