Phoenix New Times last week published a recording of Republican State Sen. Sylvia Allen lamenting the “browning” of America, saying in a speech to Republicans that the country will "look like South American countries very quickly," and on, and on.

Just about everybody lambasted Allen for her remarks, except Republicans.

Particularly prominent Republicans.

Allen’s comments echo those of former Arizona Rep. David Stringer, who in 2018 said "there aren't enough white kids to go around" in the United States and called immigration "an existential threat."

Loud with Stringer, silent with Allen

Allen is less inclined to use phrases like “existential threat” but she implied the same about immigrants, saying, "We can't provide that if people are just flooding us and flooding us and flooding us and overwhelming us."

Not long after Stringer made his remarks any number Democrats and a number of elected Republicans called for his resignation, including Gov. Doug Ducey, then-Arizona Republican Party chairman Jonathan Lines and Arizona Chamber of Commerce CEO Glenn Hamer.

This week, Phoenix New Times is wondering why no prominent Republicans – or practically ANY Republicans – have condemned Allen’s remarks or called for her resignation.

The exception was Allen's Republican primary challenger in the 2020 election, Wendy Rogers.

Wondering why everyone else is so quiet is a legitimate question, and easy to answer:

Trump.

Republicans don't criticize Republicans

President Donald Trump seems to have decided his campaign for reelection will be based on racism, xenophobia, sexism, nationalism and any other negative, divisive characteristic.

Hell, it worked for him once.

The Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman, Kelli Ward, doesn’t want Republicans criticizing Republicans.

When Republican U.S. Sen. Martha McSally dared to disagree with Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, Ward said, "My wish is that if somebody disagrees with the president from our side, Martha or any of our four Republican congressmen, I wish that they would just be quiet.”

They don't fear Ward. They fear Trump

But that’s not the reason Arizona’s political bigwigs, like Gov. Ducey, aren’t denouncing Allen.

They’re not afraid of Ward.

They ARE afraid of Trump, however.

And any Republican who criticizes Allen over her remarks is going to be asked an embarrassingly and unanswerable follow-up question:

If what Allen said is wrong how could you not criticize, if not condemn, the racist comments President Donald Trump made against four congresswoman of color or about Rep. Elijah Cummings, an African-American?

The only honest answer any of them could give is, “Because Trump scares me.”

So they stay silent. Or worse, they go out of their way like Gov. Doug Ducey and defend Allen.

And so, unlike Stringer, Allen gets a mulligan.

And all of our elected Republicans commit, silently, to basing their own reelection campaigns on a tacit acceptance of – if not outright participation in – racism, xenophobia, sexism, nationalism and any other negative, divisive characteristic.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.